Lucknow: The ongoing municipal elections in Lucknow have thrown up unexpected issues, catching the contestants unaware.
While the contestants go around campaigning and promising voters of better civic amenities, cleaner streets and well-lit roads, they are being questioned about the increasing stray dog menace in the state capital.
Party candidates admit that at various places, people have been reminding them about the issue, some even announcing a poll boycott in protest against the alleged indifferent approach of the local administration and municipal corporation on the matter.
The residents of Shrishti Apartments in Jankipuram have announced boycott of the civic polls following several cases of dog bites in their area and inaction of the authorities to solve the problem.
In Shri Guru Govind Singh ward in Alambagh, the residents of Patel Nagar and Adarsh Nagar too cited ‘dog bite’ incidents before candidates of various parties. They told the candidates that they will only vote for the party which will solve the problem.
“It may seem trivial to many but for us, it is a serious problem. Elderly citizens and children are being attacked by stray dogs, and the municipal officials are completely unconcerned about it. We do not care about BJP, SP, BSP, or Congress – we will vote for the candidate who comes up with a solution to the problem,” said Raj Narain Jauhari, a resident of Jankipuram.
His wife Sheila Jauhari said, “Two senior citizens out on morning walk were bitten by street dogs. Several kids have suffered dog bites too, but the municipal corporation has no solution to the problem. They say that NGOs do not let them catch dogs.
“As residents continue to suffer, we have told the candidates they will have to solve the problem. It is a local problem so there should be a local solution to this.”
BJP MLA Yogesh Shukla along with local candidates met the residents and assured them that the problem will be taken care of.
BJP candidate Deepak Lodhi said, “It is true that along with roads, sewer, drains and street lights, this time people are also asking us to address the problem of street dogs and stray animals. The issue is bigger than what we thought it to be.”
“The voters are complaining about increasing number of dogs in every area. I have talked to the chief animal welfare officer to implement an animal birth control programme,” he added.
Animal welfare officer Abhinav Varma said, “During the last two years, about 57,000 dogs have been sterilised by the municipal corporation. The animal birth control programme will be implemented more aggressively now.
“We will sterilise triple number of street dogs now. We need to implement area-based dog sterilisation programme to control the dog population in the city.”
–IANS
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