Panchkula fails to act on dog bite compensation
According to official government data, Panchkula reported 4,543 cases in 2023, which rose to 5,337 in 2024. This year, as many as 3,541 cases have been reported till July. The civil hospital in Sector-6 alone reported 715 dog bite cases in July, marking the highest monthly figure in recent years. Officials said that the actual figures may be higher, as many victims seek care at other dispensaries or private clinics.
Despite a clear directive from the Punjab and Haryana high court in November 2023 to provide compensation to the dog bite victims, the district administration has failed to create any policy or release any funds. The administration also failed to conduct any count of the stray dog population in the city.
Staff at the civil hospital reported that while the supply of anti-rabies vaccines is sufficient, crucial immunoglobulin injections for severe bites are not available, forcing patients to travel to Chandigarh. Additionally, patients without BPL or Ayushman cards are charged ₹100 per vaccine dose.
Municipal corporation (MC) data shows that dog sterilisation operations are inconsistent. While 2,600 dogs were sterilised in 2024, only 245 dogs were sterlised in the first two months of this year before the programme was suspended until June. According to an MC official, a private contractor, who is paid ₹1,400 per dog, continued services despite pending payments.
However, the Citizens' Welfare Association (CWA), is demanding immediate use of a ₹4.7 crore dog care facility in Sukhdarshanpur. The CWA alleged that the centre, which can accommodate 2,500 dogs, remains underutilised. SK Nayar, the association's president, stated that the failing animal birth control (ABC) programme has led to a surge in stray dogs, making residents afraid to take morning and evening walks. He stressed that the MC must take control of the dog population.
Following a Supreme Court order, MC commissioner RK Singh and mayor Kulbhushan Goyal had recently inspected the centre at Sukhdarshanpur. The mayor had assured that it would be properly used soon and that consultations with the animal husbandry department are underway.
Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal said, 'The MC is sterilising 8 to 10 stray dogs daily, with an average of around 3,000 stray dogs being sterilised per year. However, compared to previous years, the tender was delayed this time, and a relatively smaller number of dogs were targeted for sterilisation. There are an estimated 5,000 stray dogs and a similar number of pet dogs in the city.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Ahead of SC verdict, MCD issues official order to capture ferocious, ill stray dogs
Even as the Supreme Court is expected to deliver the final verdict on the pleas seeking stay on the earlier apex court order on Friday, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in an official order issued on August 19 has asked the NGO and zonal officials to round up stray dogs from vulnerable areas and keep them in 20 Animal Birth Control Centers. The NGOs running these ABC units have flagged practical difficulties in executing the MCD orders. The MCD runs 20 Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres in conjunction with 12 NGOs, for carrying out the sterilisation programme. (HT Photo) An order was issued in this regard by the deputy director (veterinary services) of the rabies control programme on August 19. Initially, the drives will be carried out at vulnerable spots, such as government offices, hospitals, schools and parks, among others. ALSO READ | Supreme Court to rule on mass capture of stray dogs in Delhi today 'In compliance of orders dated August 11 passed by the Supreme Court of India in the Suo Moto writ petition, all NGOs engaged through MOU by MCD doing the work of sterilizations and immunization of stray dogs are hereby directed to pick up all ferocious, aggressive and habitual biting stray dogs initially from vulnerable points like govt offices, hospitals etc and same shall be kept in their ABC centers,' the order reads. The MCD runs 20 Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres in conjunction with 12 NGOs, for carrying out the sterilisation programme. The MCD order also stated that similar exercises must be carried out by veterinary officers in zones and that dogs must be handed over to the nearest ABC centres. MCD officials said that the execution will be done ward-wise, with 20 ABC centres being allocated 250 municipal wards. ALSO READ | SC declines urgent hearing on plea against MCD's notification on stray dogs The veterinary department has asked workers to log records of dogs they pick up on the MCD 311 mobile application on a daily basis. 'All NGOs shall keep the CCTV footage of such dogs and will also maintain physical records at the centres,' the order reads. An MCD official said that 38 dogs were picked up on Thursday and 83 dogs on the first two days since the issuance of the official order. ALSO READ | Delhi's veterinary department shortages hit stray dog capture, sterilisation HT has reported that to permanently relocate dogs, Delhi faces multiplicity of issues, such as shortage of staff, lack of space due to absence of permanent shelters, financial challenges with per-day expenditure on each dog estimated to ₹110 and lack of exact number of dogs present in the city as no citywide census has been carried out in 16 years. RT Sharma, the president of Pet Animal Welfare Society, which runs an ABC centre in Masoodpur, said that the order cannot be implemented and NGOs will oppose the move. 'We cannot obey this order because we don't have any quarantine area for aggressive dogs. Aggressive dogs aren't only those who have rabies - they could be aggressive also because of a psychological reason, or anxiety. This needs a professional approach, beyond just picking them up and packing them in the shelter.'
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Anganwadi workers mark Black Day, protest against Poshan app
Anganwadi workers and helpers across Punjab marked 'Black Day' on Thursday under the banner of Anganwadi Mulazim Union Punjab (CITU). Wearing black dupattas and raising slogans, they staged protests in various districts to demand their rights and highlight the problems faced by both workers and beneficiaries. The protest was held as part of a nationwide call given by the All India Federation. Anganwadi workers union protesting against the government at DPO office in Ludhiana on Thursday. (Manish/HT) Addressing the gathering, union leaders in Ludhiana accused the Centre of continuously cutting funds meant for welfare schemes. They pointed out that despite alarming figures of child malnutrition in the country, the government was weakening the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Quoting national survey data, they said children were increasingly suffering from stunted growth, while Supreme Court directions clearly mandate that freshly cooked supplementary nutrition must be provided at anganwadi centres. They argued that earlier, before the Covid pandemic, freshly cooked food at centres had helped reduce malnutrition by nearly 90 per cent. However, with the introduction of digitisation, beneficiaries are now given take-home rations only after completing e-KYC and facial recognition, which often fails due to technical glitches. As a result, many poor children and mothers are deprived of their rightful share. Union leaders also highlighted India's worsening ranking on the Global Hunger Index, slipping from 96 to 105, calling it a matter of shame. They said despite ICDS completing 50 years since its launch on October 2, 1975, workers and helpers are still denied fair wages. Even the meagre honorarium has not been paid for five months, and the Centre's budget share is repeatedly delayed. The protesters demanded that ICDS be recognised as a separate department, anganwadi workers be given Class III status, and helpers Class IV status. They also demanded nursery and LKG classes be attached to anganwadis, leaving certificates be issued, gratuity benefits be implemented as directed by the Supreme Court, and proper facilities like Wi-Fi and tabs be provided. Warning both the Centre and the Punjab government, the union leaders said if their long-pending demands were not met, they would be forced to intensify their agitation in the coming days. 'A demand letter was handed over to the senior superintendent at the programme office in Ludhiana,' said Anju Mehta, one of the union members.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Supreme Court lets Trump admin cut $783 mn of research funding in anti-DEI push
Last Updated: Washington, Aug 21 (AP) The Trump administration can slash hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of research funding in its push to cut federal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the Supreme Court decided Thursday. The high court majority lifted a judge's order blocking $783 million worth of cuts made by the National Institutes of Health to align with Republican President Donald Trump's priorities. The high court did keep Trump administration guidance on future funding blocked, however. The court split 5-4 on the decision. Chief Justice John Roberts was along those who would have kept the cuts blocked, along with the court's three liberals. The order marks the latest Supreme Court win for Trump and allows the administration to forge ahead with cancelling hundreds of grants while the lawsuit continues to unfold. The plaintiffs, including states and public-health advocacy groups, have argued that the cuts will inflict 'incalculable losses in public health and human life". The Justice Department, meanwhile, has said funding decisions should not be 'subject to judicial second-guessing" and efforts to promote policies referred to as DEI can 'conceal insidious racial discrimination." The lawsuit addresses only part of the estimated $12 billion of NIH research projects that have been cut, but in its emergency appeal, the Trump administration also took aim at nearly two dozen other times judges have stood in the way of its funding cuts. Solicitor General D John Sauer said judges shouldn't be considering those cases under an earlier Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for teacher-training programme cuts. He says they should go to federal claims court instead. But the plaintiffs, 16 Democratic state attorneys general and public-health advocacy groups, argued that research grants are fundamentally different from the teacher-training contracts and couldn't be sent to claims court. Halting studies midway can also ruin the data already collected and ultimately harm the country's potential for scientific breakthroughs by disrupting scientists' work in the middle of their careers, they argued. US District Judge William Young judge in Massachusetts agreed, finding the abrupt cancellations were arbitrary and discriminatory. 'I've never seen government racial discrimination like this," Young, an appointee of Republican President Ronald Reagan, said at a hearing in June. He later added: 'Have we no shame." An appeals court left Young's ruling in place. (AP) SCY SCY view comments First Published: August 22, 2025, 03:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
