Shanta Kumar Calls Stray Dog Menace a Serious Governance Failure
By Arvind Sharma
DHARAMSHALA: Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and former Union Minister Shanta Kumar has expressed concern over the growing stray dog menace in the country, describing it as a serious reflection on governance in the world’s largest democracy.
In a statement issued here on Thursday, Shanta Kumar remarked that people across the world would be surprised to learn that the issue of stray dogs has repeatedly reached the Supreme Court of India. He said the primary responsibility of the Supreme Court is to safeguard the Constitution and ensure governance in accordance with constitutional principles, and questioned why civic authorities and governments had failed to address the issue effectively.
He observed that lakhs of dog-bite cases are being reported across the country every year, while stray animals are also causing traffic disruptions in many cities and towns. In several rural areas, he said, farmers have been forced to abandon agricultural activities because of the increasing menace of stray animals.
Shanta Kumar further pointed out that India has thousands of temples possessing assets worth crores of rupees. He suggested that temples could play a constructive role by establishing and supporting Gaushalas (cow shelters), which, he said, would ensure better utilization of devotees’ donations while also contributing to social welfare.
He also questioned why Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and various government departments, despite having substantial budgets, had failed to work collectively to tackle the stray dog problem. According to him, the government could significantly control the stray dog population through sterilization drives and by creating designated shelters and reserved zones for stray animals.
Describing the situation as a “major administrative failure,” Shanta Kumar said It is unfortunate that cows, revered in Indian culture as Gau Mata, are often left wandering on roads and scavenging through garbage for food. He urged the government to formulate an effective mechanism for utilizing available resources to address the issue of stray animals and improve public safety and civic management.
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