BJP Slams Kakinada Civic Body Over Stray Dog Menace, Warns of Legal Consequences
Kakinada, June 24 (TNT): The BJP’s Kakinada district unit on Wednesday accused municipal authorities of gross negligence in tackling the growing stray dog menace in the city and warned that officials could face legal consequences for failing to implement Supreme Court directives on the issue.
The party’s criticism came in the wake of an incident in Sambamurthy Nagar’s Thotapmmavari Veedhi, where four persons, including three children and a woman, were reportedly bitten by stray dogs in the early hours of Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference, BJP district president Bikkina Visweswara Rao, Civil Supplies Corporation Director Yenimireddi Malakondaiah and senior leader Duvvuri Subrahmanyam alleged that the municipal administration had failed to establish permanent shelters for stray dogs and relocate them in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines.
The leaders claimed that despite repeatedly bringing the issue to the notice of the District Collector, Municipal Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration, no effective action had been taken.
Citing recent Supreme Court observations, they said municipal officials could face contempt proceedings and be held liable to pay compensation to victims if adequate measures were not taken to control the stray dog population and ensure public safety.
The BJP leaders also questioned the functioning of the Kakinada Municipal Corporation, alleging that Municipal Commissioner Satyanarayana was serving only as an in-charge while simultaneously handling responsibilities as Project Director of the Housing Board, leaving little time to address pressing civic issues.
According to them, the previous District Collector had indicated efforts to appoint a separate full-time officer for the Housing Board so that the commissioner could focus exclusively on municipal administration. However, the transfer of the Collector resulted in the issue remaining unresolved.
The BJP further alleged that the negligence and inaction of officials were bringing disrepute to the coalition government. Though the stray dog issue may appear to be a minor civic problem, it has become a serious public safety concern in light of recent court rulings, the party leaders said.
They demanded immediate measures to address the menace and prevent further attacks on residents.
TNT TMR
