Minister raps MC officials, asks them to act

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 20

Urban Local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain has asked the Municipal Corporation to form a quick reaction team and tackle the stray dog menace. Commissioner Lalit Siwach, Executive Officer Arvind Balyan and Chief Sanitary Inspector Sadhu Ram were called to meet the minister yesterday.

The minister has reportedly asked the MC to make the city ‘safe for pedestrians’ as the dog-bite cases were increasing each day. The minister said no laxity by officials would be tolerated and asked how they would tackle the menace. She has asked the MC to speed up the process of sterilisation and directed them to prepare a special action plan to mitigate the fear level of residents who daily went for morning and evening walks.

Siwach when contacted, said, “I have suggested that dog pounds be made to keep stray dogs away from residential areas. We have done better than Mohali and Chandigarh to sterilise dogs as 2,841 have been sterilised so far.” He added that animal cruelty laws strictly said that dogs had to be left at their original place even after sterilisation. Hence, there was not much that the MC could do to make the streets stray dog free.