The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Governor unhappy with culling of dogs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Governor unhappy with culling of dogs

Swathi Shivanand

BANGALORE: Condemning the move to indiscriminately cull street dogs in Bangalore and Mysore, Governor T.N. Chaturvedi on Tuesday sent a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy asking for a scientific approach to deal with the issue of street dogs.

In the letter, a copy of which was released to the press, the Governor said, "The real thing is that for the last two or three decades, the municipal authorities and the government departments concerned have obviously failed in the discharge of their responsibilities in this regard or indifferent and this is the cumulative result."

Mr. Chaturvedi said he was particularly exasperated that the corporation employees did not know how to dispose of the carcasses of the dogs.

Terming the move by Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and Mysore City Corporation to kill dogs as a "knee jerk reaction", he said, "as in human beings, population control is a long term process, but the beginning has to be imaginative, steady, sustained and adequately monitored."

Stating that it was "churlish" to pitch the matter as between the value of the life of human being and dogs, Mr. Chaturvedi said that all life was precious and that there must be harmony and balance in nature.

Calling for some thinking on the part of the civic authorities, he has said, "even when emotions are aroused in a situation, it is for the authorities to keep their cool and find a middle path, which will yield some fruitful reasons."

Censure

After widespread criticism of the BBMP on its lack of planning with regard to housing the dogs and inefficient dogcatchers, the Chief Minister reportedly directed the officials to not reveal to the media details about the civic body's dog catching drive. "We have been told not to state how many dogs we have caught because there have been questions raised about the manner in which we are going about it," sources said.

Ashok's directive

Health Minister R. Ashok has directed BBMP officials to transfer health officer (East) Mala Ramachandran on charge of dereliction of duty.

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