GUILHERME ALMEIDA
Blame it on sheer apathy to the burning issue or otherwise, Margao’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme is back on the scanner of the NGOs and concerned citizens. If the government and the local municipal body had been found wanting in providing full-fledged premises to carry out vaccination and sterilization of city’s stray dogs or allot land at Sonsodo to build a spacious dog shelter, the NGO engaged by the civic body has now come in for a rude shock from the municipal authorities.
Leave alone the repeated delays in sanctioning the monthly payments for the ABC programme, it’s now four months now since the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the MMC and the NGO, South Goa Welfare Trust for Animals has expired and the civic body is showing no urgency to either extend the MoU or ink a fresh agreement with the NGO.
Herald inquiries have revealed that the MoU with the city-based NGO had expired in October. To add insult to injury, the NGO has not been paid for four months from November till February, leaving the organisation struggling to arrange the necessary funds.
Sources said that it was after the NGO raised the bills for the month of Nov-Dec in January last that the MMC officials realised that the MoU had expired four months ago. Though the sanitary section has moved a note to the senior officials to address the issue, nothing has moved in that direction. CO, Naveen S L, was not available for comment since he was out of station, but an official said the issue needs to be discussed at the council meeting before taking a call on the extension of the MoU with the civic body.
Says Sandra Fernandes, dog shelter, co-ordinator, “We are continuing with the ABC programme in the city taking into account the interest of the citizens. The sterilisation and vaccination programme is continuing at the dog shelter despite the expiry of the MoU. We look forward for the extension of the MoU by the civic body at the earliest.” Fernandes, however, said the activity of dog catching, sterilisation and vaccination may come to a halt if funds do not flow to the NGO immediately. “MMC officials say they cannot release the payments for the months of November-December because the MoU has expired in October. We are running out of funds,” she added.
The South Goa Welfare Trust for Animals was roped in by the MMC in 2009 to assist the civic body in undertaking the ABC programme in the city. In lieu of its services, the NGO was initially paid a monthly fixed amount of Rs 15,000 which was later increased to Rs 25,000 to meet the growing requirements. Five years down the line and the NGO is struggling to receive the basic infrastructure such as a spacious dog shelter with 100 cages, a shelter in the government-run Veterinary Dept at Sonsodo, besides a substantial raise in the MMC funding taking into account the high manpower cost.
“At the MMC meetings, the city fathers make a big noise over the payment of Rs 25,000 to the NGO. The councillors and the officials should realise that tackling the stray dog menace is the primary responsibility of the civic body as per the High Court order,” remarked an activist.
