The Times of India 24.08.2012
Nashik Municipal Corporation to take up dog sterilization programme
NASHIK: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Thursday cancelled the proposal of inviting fresh tenders from private firms for sterilizing dogs and decided to implement the sterilization programme on its own.
The proposal of inviting
tenders amounting to Rs 75 lakh within the limits of NMC for 2012-13 was
tabled at the general body meeting of the NMC. When corporators
criticized the move of the NMC administration to implement the dog sterilization programme through a private contractor, it was decided that NMC will implement the programme.
Alleging irregularities in the sterilization programme, corporator
Komal Meheroliya said, "As per the state, the dog sterilization
programme was for female dogs only, but castration of male dogs was also
mentioned in the civic proposal, which was wrong. Besides, mobile vans,
which are necessary to catch the dogs, were also not used by the
contractor. According to the report from NMC administration, around
36,000 dogs were sterilized in the past three-and-a-half years. Was this
work on paper only?"
The contract of the agent responsible for
sterilization expired on May 6 and since then, the NMC has stopped its
sterilization program.
City mayor Yatin Wagh
said, "The implementation of the dog sterilization programme is
mandatory as per the directives of both central as well as the state
governments. But considering the bad experience in the last two years,
the programme will be implemented by NMC administration and all
necessary instruments required for the programme will be purchased. NMC
has no veterinary doctors. Hence, veterinary doctors will also be
appointed as per requirement on permanent or honorarium basis."
