Times of India | 4 months ago | 18-07-2022 | 11:26 am
PANAJI: So far, just 43 village panchayats, seven municipalities and the corporation of the city of Panaji (CCP) have applied for implementation of the animal birth control (ABC) programme. However, most civic bodies have not applied for the programme as they do not have suitable NGOs locally to implement the scheme, minister for animal husbandry and veterinary services Nilkanth Halarnkar said on Thursday, in a reply tabled in the assembly. Four MLAs had sought to know the status of the programme on sterilisation of stray dogs in the state. Halarnkar said that as per Supreme Court directives and Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, Goa has notified an animal birth control state monitoring committee. He said that at its meeting, the committee proposed to set up animal birth control centers at every taluka. “The village panchayats and municipalities have not adopted the ABC programme mainly due to non-availability of NGOs in their respective jurisdiction,” Halarnkar said in the reply. There are 151 village panchayats and the municipalities of Curchorem-Cacora, Pernem, Quepem, Sanguem and Valpoi that have not applied for the ABC programme. Halarnkar said that besides dogs, Rs 1,000 is also provided for sterilisation of cats. “As per the Goa Municipality Act, 1968, local authorities are mandated to implement the registration of owned dogs and vaccination and sterilisation of the same. The animal husbandry department is providing all possible assistance for sterilisation and vaccination of owned dogs through various veterinary hospitals and veterinary dispensaries in the state,” the minister said. Halarnkar said that there are five veterinary hospitals, 48 village sub-centres and 25 veterinary dispensaries in Goa at which medicines are provided free of cost. “Mineral mixture, nutritional/feed supplements and feed additives are dispensed at 50% cost and deworming is charged at Rs 20 per dose,” said the minister.