Team Herald
MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council officials appear to be totally unaware of how the stray dogs menace in the town is being controlled even though as per the budget document it has spent an amount of Rs 1.82 lakh in the first eight months of the current financial year.
Chief Officer Siddhivinayak Naik said, “The amount is paid to the organisation that is undertaking the management of stray dogs but could not provide any more information including the name of the agency managing and mentioned that the Accounts and Taxation Officer Abhay Rane will have the details.”
Abhay also claimed to have no knowledge at all and said the sanitation section would have the information. The sanitation section while claiming not to be dealing with stray dogs directed to the technical section where it was disclosed that the file has not yet reached them.
However, South Goa Welfare Trust for Animals is looking after the control of stray dogs for Margao Municipal Council and according to Sandeep Azgaonkar, its treasurer they have been paid only Rs 70,000 for this financial year.
South Goa Welfare Trust for Animals has one veterinary doctor and one assistant employed at the Sonsodo shelter to attend to the stray dogs. “On an average we neuter more than 100 dogs every month besides treating around 24 injured every month,” informed Sandeep.
He also disclosed that they do carry out vaccination drives for stray dogs and added that on an average around 10 dogs are put to sleep every month.
However, nobody in the MMC had any information about the number of dogs treated or even the amount paid to the organisation or how the organisation picks up the dogs and for what work are they actually paid.
