Govt constitutes panel to frame policy to curb stray dog menace

Staff Reporter

Taking cognisance of several incidents of stray dogs attacking children and grown-ups in different areas, Maharashtra Government has constituted a committee to address the issue. The committee has been asked to frame a policy to tackle stray dogs menace by addressing various facets, including population control. The issue had come up for discussion through a call attention motion during the winter session of State Legislature at Nagpur in December 2022. The Government had then assured to constitute a committee to frame a policy to address the issue. Previously there was a provision for animal birth control monitoring committees at the local bodies. Now, considering the Supreme Court orders, Animal Welfare Board of India norms, directions issued from time to time by Urban Development Department (UDD) as well as Rural Development Department, and various prevailing laws and rules, Maharashtra Government has decided to have a comprehensive policy in place. For the purpose, it has decided to constitute a 15-member committee.

The 15-member committee headed by Principal Secretary of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries Department, has Deputy Director of Quality Control Laboratory at Goregaon as Member Secretary. The committee members include Principal Secretary/Additional Chief Secretary of UDD or their representative; Principal Secretary (Health) or representative; Principal Secretary (Rural Development) or representative; Commissioner, Animal Husbandry; Chief Executive Officer of CIDCO or representative; representative of Animal Welfare Board of India; Member Secretary of Maharashtra Animal Welfare Board; Commissioner and Director (Municipal Administration); Municipal Commissioners of Mumbai, Thane, and Navi Mumbai or their representatives; Abodh Aras, Welfare of Stray Dogs organisation, Mumbai; and Dr Makarand Chavan, Secretary, Pet Practitioners Association of Mumbai.

The committee will study the existing laws and rules and make recommendations to tackle the stray dogs menace. Also, it will suggest measures to control the population of stray dogs, deal with rabies infections etc while considering the court orders in this regard.

This policy-framing panel will take stock of the functioning of the local body level committees looking after planning of dogs control programme, management of stray dogs, capture/transport/sterilisation/vaccination/medication and release of stray dogs etc. Then, the panel will make recommendations regarding enhancing the effectiveness of functioning of these committees. The policy is expected to have provisions fixing responsibility of Gram Panchayat, municipal councils, municipal corporations etc regarding veterinary clinic for treatment of stray dogs, dog sterilisation centres, etc. The policy committee is also expected to suggest measures for counting of dogs in every big village, tehsil, town, and city, and registration of pet dogs with an objective to have no stray dog on streets. The policy may envision setting up ‘Dog Shelters’ for treatment and sterilisation of dogs, as also floating a scheme for adoption of dogs by animal-lovers. The committee has been asked to submit its report to the Government in three months.