CHANDIGARH: While the civic body authorities have failed to control the stray dogs menace in city, in crucial decision finance and contract committee (F&CC) of MC on Friday, decided to bear 71.5% vaccination charges of dog bite victims. With this a dog bite victim will have to pay only Rs 500 for the five-injection vaccination instead of around Rs 1,750.According to data available with MC, around 7,000 cases of dog bite come every year to the Sector 19 based animal bite dispensary.

Thus with this decision the civic authorities will have to bear an extra burden of around Rs 80 lakh. Significantly, the benefit will also extend to victims of neighbouring states like Punjab, Haryana and Himachal, as many people from these areas also come to the city due to non-availability of animal bite dispensary in their respective areas. When asked, municipal commissioner Vivek Partap Singh said, "It was unanimous decision. We are well aware that most victims face a huge problem in vaccination of dog bite cases, therefore now with this decision victims will have to pay only Rs 100 for each injection. We have kept a special provision in the budget for this."A doctor, posted in Sector 19 dispensary, said,