Bitten and ignored: 2 years after HC order, victims await relief
Deputy commissioner Monika Gupta told TOI, "In this regard, the Haryana government has to make a policy as the budget is also to be decided. We have written to the government. Once the policy is made, the committee will be set up and the compensation will be given."
In Nov 2023, the HC ruled that victims should receive a minimum of Rs 10,000 per tooth mark and Rs 20,000 per 0.2 cm of wound where flesh has been pulled off. However, the order has yet to translate into any actual compensation.
Sunit Singla, chairman of the dog bite committee, municipal corporation, confirmed, "Not even a single dog bite victim was given compensation after the HC's order. The MC has to give it after the DC-formed committee sends the approved list to us. But no names were sent to us by the committee yet."
MC councillors also expressed concern over the lack of public awareness about the committee and its role.
SK Nayar, president of the Citizens Welfare Association, said, "The high court has already issued directions to ensure safety from stray dogs.
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With the rise in bite cases, it is essential for the local administration in Panchkula to act promptly in public interest."
Mukesh Malhotra, a Sector 25 resident, shared his ordeal: "I was bitten for no fault of mine and have five stitches, but there is no compensation. I wrote to the MC and the Haryana Human Rights Commission, but nothing happened."
Frustrated by the delay, Panchkula mayor Kulbhushan Goyal had earlier announced a plan to provide immediate medical relief and compensation at five community centres. The proposal included stationing doctors, nurses, and vaccines, along with Rs 10,000 compensation per tooth mark. However, five months later, the plan remains unimplemented.
Meanwhile, the MC's sterilisation campaign, which had been halted earlier, has recently resumed.
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