Stray dog menace leads to protest in Patiala

PATIALA: Stray dogs have been causing many road accidents in the city. The incidence of dog bites is also on the rise. However, the municipal corporation is yet to carry out any measures like a census of the canine population and has no estimates of the number of dogs in the city. The data can be useful in controlling the stray dog menace.
“We have not received any complaint from regarding stray dogs.We have never conducted any census of dogs as no one approached us for that,” said Patiala mayor Ajitpal Singh Kohli. When the mayor was making this claim, residents and members of Society for People’s Welfare & Awareness Patiala (SPWAP) were sitting on demonstration in front of MC office to protest the failure of civic body in containing this menace.
The protesters demanded immediate action by district administration and corporation to control the alarming rise in number of stray dogs.
“Last month, we had submitted a memorandum to district administration and given a month’s time to initiate action. But there has been no action so far. Many have suffered injuries in accidents due to stray dogs on roads,” alleged SPWAP secretary general Dr D S Bhullar.
When asked about the memorandum, he again replied in the negative and said the NGO submitted the memorandum to deputy commissioner last month, but it reached him only on Friday morning. “I will soon call a meeting of my officers and take immediate steps to control the menace,” added the mayor.
Protesters said after the sharp rise in dog-bite cases, Punjab Vidhan Sabha had decided to constitute a joint committee of the house few months ago to take up the matter with the Centre, but Patiala MC was yet to wake up from its deep slumber.