Sterilisation drive faces uncertainty as tender awaits Local Bodies Dept nod

The long-pending proposal for the sterilisation of 20,000 stray dogs in the city has remained stuck for nearly eight months due to the absence of approval from the Local Bodies Department, despite having been duly passed by the MC House and forwarded for clearance.

The municipal corporation had moved the proposal to float a fresh tender for the sterilisation of 20,000 dogs in view of the rising stray dog population and growing public safety concerns. However, even after eight months, the proposal has not received the required approval, resulting in delays in initiating large-scale sterilisation work.

Between 2018 and August 2025, the municipal corporation managed to sterilise around 30,000 stray dogs across the city. In August 2023, a tender worth Rs 1.80 crore was awarded to the Animal Welfare Charitable Trust for sterilising 20,000 dogs. The tenure of this contract concluded in August 2025.

To ensure that the sterilisation drive does not come to a halt due to delays in issuing a fresh tender, the municipal corporation exercised its provision to allot up to 25 per cent of the proposed new work to the existing agency, provided its previous performance was satisfactory. Under this arrangement, the same agency was assigned the task of sterilising 5,000 dogs.

So far, approximately 2,000 dogs have been sterilised under this interim arrangement. Officials said the agreement will automatically lapse once 3,000 more dogs are sterilised, after which no further work can be undertaken without the approval of a new tender.

MC officials pointed out that, as per norms, the civic body is empowered to assign up to 25 per cent of the new tendered work to the previous contractor after the completion of the original contract to avoid disruption in essential services. This provision was invoked solely to maintain continuity in the sterilisation programme.

Mayor Jatinder Singh Bhatia said he would take up the matter with senior officials to ascertain the level at which the proposal is pending. He assured that efforts would be made to obtain approval from the Local Bodies Department at the earliest so that a fresh tender could be floated without further delay.