Stray dog menace echoes in Tamil Nadu Assembly, govt hikes compensation
The state government responded with a hike in compensation awarded to victims suffering damages due to stray dog bites.;
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CHENNAI: Stray dog menace became a talking point in the State Assembly on Wednesday after several MLAs moved a call attention motion in the House to draw the treasury benches attention to the perennial problem plaguing mainly the urban pockets of the state.
The state government responded with a hike in compensation awarded to victims suffering damages due to stray dog bites.
Replying to the call attention motion moved by AIADMK MLAs KC Karupannan and BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan among the MLAs during the Zero Hour, State Rural Development Minister I Periasamy acknowledged the spurt in cases of death of cattle and pets due to stray dog bites and said that the data pertaining to such incidents was collected from district collectors and carefully scrutinized.
Stating that the Chief Minister has issued orders this morning to disburse compensation for the death of cattle/pets in rural and urban local bodies from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund under Disaster Relief Fund rules, Minister Periasamy said that accordingly, Rs 37,500, Rs 4,000 and Rs 100 would be provided for the death of cow, goat/sheep and chicken each due to stray dog bite.
Pointing out that as much as Rs 42.02 lakh has been disbursed so far for the death of 1,149 animals due to stray dog bite, minister Periasamy informed the House later in the day that the CM issued orders to increase the compensation to Rs 6,000 and Rs 200 per goat/sheep and chicken each based on the information received in this regard. Orders will be issued to this effect soon.
Earlier, speaking on the motion, BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan recalled a statement made in the House by municipal administration minister KN Nehru earlier and said that the amount spent by the local bodies for undertaking birth control measures to curb stray dog menace was insufficient and the measure was not effectively implemented to address the problem, which was rampant in her constituency.
AIADMK MLA KC Karupannan specifically asked the government to address the issue of compensating poor farmers who lose their cattle to stray dog bites.