GHMC spends Rs 5 k to vaccinate 1 dog!

The population of stray dogs in the city may be rising, but the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) says its veterinary programme has been successful. In fact, the corporation seems to have spent Rs 25 crore on vaccines for stray dogs.

However, in an RTI application, B Sambi Reddy, general secretary, Lok Satta Party, questioned the motive behind the GHMC spending Rs 25 crore to vaccinate 44,100 dogs since 2009 as part of its sterilisation and antirabies vaccination drive.

“When the market rate of the vaccine is around Rs 40, why has the civic body spent Rs 5,000 to sterilise one dog. The people of the city are at a loss to understand the expenditure patterns. Even if they incur expenditure as high as Rs 5,000, the population of dogs continues to be at an all-time high,“ Sambi Reddy rued.

He further said there have been 35,000 cases of dog bites in the last one year, out of which the victim died in 23 cases. Recently, stray dogs mauled a patient at the Gandhi Hospital. “There are as many as five lakh dogs feely roaming the streets in the GHMC limits. People of the city deserve to have this problem sorted out,“ he added.

Defending its expenditure, officials from the veterinary department of the GHMC said that they have not spent as much amount as shown in the RTI reply. “The expenditure that we have shown comprises purchase of vaccines, labour, vehicle and other charges. That is why the expenditure seems to be bloated,“ clarified P Venkateshwara Reddy, chief veterinary officer, veterinary wing, GHMC.

Courtesy: Times of India