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Gone to the dogs
- MMC has delayed in extending the MoU, nor has it paid monthly payments to South Goa Welfare Trust for Animals for the work done to implement the Animal Birth Control programme since Nov last year
- Promises to increase the number of cages at the dog shelter, besides allocating a plot of land for the NGO to start full-fledged operations also remain unfulfilled
- The civic body has forwarded the file pertaining to the MoU to the municipal lawyer for vetting, but as the code of conduct is in force, the new council will have to take a call on this after the polls
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Ever since the guns fell silent in the city after the High Court banned killing of stray dogs around two decades ago, successive Margao Municipal Councils have only paid lip service to the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. While the High Court had pinned the responsibility on the local self-government bodies to tackle the stray dog menace, the Margao civic body has only abdicated its responsibility by shifting the onus of tackling strays on city-based non-governmental organizations without providing basic infrastructure.
It’s not known how many candidates contesting elections for the Margao civic body have included in its agenda their 'action plan' to resolve the burning stray dog issues staring at the commercial capital. However, one thing is clear, that the new council has its clear task cut out to address the issue on top most priority with successive councils shirking their responsibility cast upon the local bodies as per the High Court order.
Otherwise, consider this. It’s now exactly a year since Margao Municipal Council’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the South Goa Welfare Trust for Animals (SGWTA) had lapsed in October 2014. Since then, MMC has neither shown any initiative to extend the MoU nor has it paid the monthly payments to SGWTA for the work done in the city to implement the ABC programme over the last 12 months. Inordinate delays by the civic body in extending the MoU with the NGO coupled with the failure to clear the payments appears to be just the tip of the iceberg. Promises to increase the number of cages at the dog shelter, besides allocating a plot of land for the NGO to start full-fledged operations remain unfulfilled till date.
Inquiries have revealed that the council at its last meeting chaired by incumbent Chairperson Arthur D’Silva had resolved to extend the MoU with the NGO. The meeting had also promised to allocate additional funds to the NGO to carry out the operations, but in vain. ' The Goan' understands that the civic body has forwarded the file pertaining to the NGO to the municipal lawyer for vetting. But, given that all decisions approved by the municipal lawyer are required to be placed before the council for a final decision, the NGO will have to wait for the constitution of the new council after the municipal polls.
MMC Chief Officer Y B Tawde said: “As per rules, the draft MoU was sent to the municipal lawyer for vetting. Since the code of conduct is in force and the term of the present council has come to an end, the new council will have to take a call on the MoU after the election.”
Animal lover and dog shelter coordinator, Sandra Fernandes, lamented that nothing has moved in the Margao Municipal Council on the stray dog front.
“MMC did not pay the NGO since November last year, but we did not stop our operations. Between April to September, we have sterilized as many 500-odd dogs. But, MMC should take an early call on the issue. We need to pay wages to the dog catchers. The cages have not increased since day one. There ought to be a holistic approach to the issue to tackle the strays head on,” she added.
Added SGWTA secretary Dilip Prabhudessai: “The monthly fees amounting to Rs 25,000 paid by the civic body to the NGO is too meagre given the magnitude of the problem. The NGO has asked for a substantial hike. Let’s see how the new council tackles the situation.”
