NT Reporter | Margao
Minister for Animal Husbandry Nilkant Halarnkar said on Monday that the state would implement the Supreme Court’s directions on the relocation of stray dogs.
Speaking after inaugurating the Rs 6-crore veterinary hospital at Sonsoddo, Halarnkar said, “The Chief Secretary has been entrusted with the implementation of the order, and the stray dogs around schools, bus stands, and railway stations will be relocated. We have land available near veterinary hospitals where they can be accommodated.”
He said the numbers were manageable and sufficient land was available for the exercise.
The new veterinary hospital will become operational from Tuesday, with equipment from the old facility temporarily shifted until new equipment arrives, he said.
Halarnkar urged village panchayats and municipalities to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Goushalas to tackle the cattle menace. He said the department is providing a 100 per cent subsidy for the purchase of hydraulic vehicles to shift injured animals.
Earlier, Halarnkar inaugurated the multi-storey hospital in the presence of Navelim BJP MLA Ulhas Tuenkar, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, and officials from the Animal Husbandry Department.
Lourenco urged doctors to maintain the hospital’s upkeep and provide quality services to the public. “I know the hardships faced by the doctors and urge the general public to cooperate,” he said.
Tuenkar said the new hospital would give a major boost to Salcete by improving care for pets and suggested that an ambulance be provided to transport injured animals for treatment.
