Srinagar, Apr 7: At a time when dog menace has assumed alarming proportions with humans often felling prey to the deadly bites, the government seems to have gone concerned towards the animals by ordering a high level probe into the alleged poisoning of some stray packs that too on mere hearsay.

THE PROBE
 The Srinagar Municipal Corporation has ordered the probe while the SMC Joint Commissioner (Administration) has been appointed the Enquiry Officer.
 Official documents, a copy of which lies with Greater Kashmir, reveal that the SMC Commissioner Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmed has ordered the probe.
 “Numerous e-mails have been received regarding alleged poisoning of stray dogs in Srinagar. Joint Commissioner (Adm) is appointed as Enquiry officer in the matter. He shall ascertain the factual position and fix responsibility in this regard,” reads the order, vide Number 460 of 2011 dated March 11, 2011.

THE PROGRESS 
 Sources in SMC said the Joint Commissioner and his team have started inquiry but only to face severe embarrassment from public circles for probing the allegations which look nothing but imagination.
 The enquiry team, as per the sources, contacted Mohalla Committees and Masjid Intizaamiyas in some City areas to know if any stray dogs had been poisoned there.
 But the public circles are understood to have condemned the “ridiculous probe.”
 “Are you blind to see so many dogs around everywhere that you think they have been poisoned? Who has poisoned the dogs and where? You better get your mental checkup done first,” a member of the enquiry team quoted Srinagarites of having quipped.
 Insiders said at some places the inquiry team had to face hooting from people who literally chased them away.

‘GO TO DOGS’
 Ironically despite an apparent surge in dog attacks including human deaths in the recent past, some “animal right activist” and New Delhi based news channels have been speaking their heart in support of the stray packs, the population of which is over one lakh in the summer Capital of Srinagar alone.
 After lobbying for sometime that the stray dogs shouldn’t be eliminated under any circumstances, the sources said, some “animal lovers” allegedly got fake news story planted that dogs were being “indiscriminately” killed in Srinagar. And this what seems to have proved cannon fodder for the SMC inquiry.

‘MASSACRE OF DOGS PROPAGANDA’
 After lobbying at local level by circulating e-mails, the “animal lovers”, as per the sources, finally approached the state government alleging that “massacre of dogs was taking place in Kashmir, particularly Srinagar.”
 Sources said the emails were shot to Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, Chief Secretary and other top-brass to make the government go concerned towards the stray packs.

THE SHADY SIDE
 Ironically, the dog-friendly trumpet has been blown at a time when the SMC claims to have given up the poisoning many years back while the canine population continues to swell with the recent birth of new pups.
 This raises a question that as to why hype over the alleged poisoning of dogs when no such incident seems to have taken place? Well this, as per the observers, has to do with the proposed rupees multi-crore sterilization program for the dogs.
 “Sterilization of dogs means a rupees multi-crore investment spanning over years and so could mean business for those who get the work,” said an observer.

OFFICIALS SPEAK
 When contacted SMC Commissioner downplayed the probe saying “such orders are routine official correspondence in any administrative setup.”
 “Even tough we are not poisoning any dogs, as a responsible institution we cannot ignore anyone’s apprehensions that some stray pack might have been killed,” Mushtaq told Greater Kashmir.
 “Animals too have right to live and we cannot ignore it. Moreover, through inquiry the facts will come crystal clear and doubts if any as mentioned in allegations will be cleared,” he said.
 Asked why speedy probe into animal rights that too on mere hearsay when authorities have at times been reluctant in ordering probe into human rights abuse in Kashmir, the official said: “This is unnecessary mixing of a small civic issue with some other topics.”
 The civic body head maintained that the stray dogs couldn’t be “killed under any circumstances” adding that the sterilization of dogs would soon be started on war footing.
 “ABC(Animal Birth Control) will be resumed in a big way and it (dog menace) will be over soon,” he asserted adding that the modalities were being finalized.

THE FEAR
 Pertinently, at least three persons including a 10-year old by from Old City  recently died in dog attacks  while the National Conference led government and its battery of officials are reluctant to eliminate the stray packs pleading that Rs multi crore sterilization was the only viable solution. But this drive, which is expected to take years to complete, is even yet to start.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 7 Apr 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 7 Apr 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 8 Apr 2011 00:00:00 IST