Harish Rao Slams Government Over Stray Dog Attacks

Siddipet MLA and former minister Harish Rao today lashed out at the Congress government claiming that it was not taking even the minimum steps despite the increasing number of street dog attacks in the State.

"Dog attacks on children are becoming a regular feature. Stray dogs were seen mutilating the body of a dead baby at MGM Hospital in Warangal yesterday. Another differently-abled child was attacked by dogs in the Narsingi municipality limits on the outskirts of Hyderabad. A 4-year-old child was attacked by stray dogs in the Ibrahimpatnam Assembly constituency of Ranga Reddy district. It is inhuman that the government is not shaken by such heart-rending incidents," he said.

He added that there had even been incidents of dogs killing even living people and taking them away. "People all over the State are scared now. It is unfortunate that the government thinks that the deaths of human beings in dog attack cases in the State is a common issue. Had adequate measures been taken at the beginning of the outbreak of dog bite cases, there would not have been 343 dog bite incidents in the last eight months. Not many people would have lost their lives. Despite repeated warnings by even the High Court, the Congress government has not woken up from its deep slumber," he said.

"The State government had recently told the High Court that there are 3,79,156 stray dogs in the State. But people think that the number of these dogs is double that," he added.

Rao said that after the Congress government came to power the Palle Pragati and urban development programs were stopped, and sanitation management was hampered in both villages and towns. "Garbage has accumulated in many areas as a result, and the menace of stray dogs has consequently increased. The failure of the municipal departments in the municipal towns has resulted in the lack of control over street dogs. Moreover, the system of proper allocation of funds for progeny control operations for dogs is also not working properly at all. As a result, the offspring of street dogs have increased tremendously," he added.

Rao demanded that victims of dog bites be compensated and that the government immediately take steps to prevent dog bite attacks. "The government should be held responsible for the dog bite incidents that have taken place so far. Compensation should be paid to both those who have lost their lives and those who have been injured. Immediate medical care should be ensured for dog bite victims through government hospitals, and anti-rabies medicines should be made available in all primary health centres and hospitals. In addition, a comprehensive action plan should be implemented for the control of street dogs," he said.