The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Pig menace in hospital: NGO serves notices on officials

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 26, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Pig menace in hospital: NGO serves notices on officials

By Our Staff Reporter

KURNOOL, NOV. 25. Controversy is brewing up over the pig menace in the Government General Hospital here. VOICE, a group of social activists, has taken up the issue by serving legal notices on the Superintendent of the Hospital and the Collector.

The Collector, Vikas Raj, has directed the Municipal Corporation to take up culling of pigs on a war-footing keeping in view the public pressure. An amount of Rs. 26,000 has been allotted for purchase of ammunition, which will be procured by the Police Department.

Office-bearers of VOICE are angry over the delay in eradication of pigs. Its coordinator D. Narasimhachar, has said that officials are passing the responsibility from one person to the other. The Municipal Corporation officials are reluctant to take up culling of pigs on the premises of the hospital saying that the hospital should be properly fenced to prevent pigs from entering the premises.

Serious problem

On the other hand, the hospital authorities say that the pig menace is a serious problem in the city and the hospital cannot be insulated against it. The attempt to eliminate pigs by way of culling was seriously resisted in the past by pig-owners who belonged to scheduled tribe community and had the backing of certain organisations.

Also, animal lovers had raised voice against killing of pigs. The attempts of authorities to shift pig farms to the outskirts of the city did not materialise because maintenance of pigs in isolated places was difficult. Pigs found their food without the efforts of the owners in human habitations.

The VOICE was planning to file a public interest litigation seeking the intervention of the court to solve the problem. Also, the representatives of the organisation were concerned about the poor financial assistance to the General Hospital. As against the budget of 1.80 crores, only Rs. 11 lakhs was released so far. Mr. Narasimhachar said the services were seriously affected in the city because of fund shortage.

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Andhra Pradesh