Stray dog issue sparks heated debate at Corpn. council meeting

Tensions ran high at the Corporation Council meeting on Tuesday (December 3) as the ruling party and the Opposition clashed over the issue of stray dog menace. The Opposition accused the corporation of ignoring the issue, claiming their notice for an urgent resolution had been excluded from the agenda.

Opposition Councillor N. Sukanya raised the matter, demanding immediate action to address the issue. She described the corporation’s response as “criminal indifference.” T. Raveendran from the Opposition echoed this concern, alleging that they had been deliberately excluded from discussions.

Deputy Mayor P. Indira countered the claims, stating meeting details were shared with all council members. However, the Opposition staged a protest in front of the Mayor’s desk, chanting slogans before boycotting the session. They later returned to resume their confrontation.

Health Standing Committee Chairman M.P. Rajesh criticised both the district panchayat and the Animal Husbandry department for their indifference to the issue. Former Mayor T.O. Mohanan highlighted that the corporation had already allocated ₹20 lakh to the district panchayat for addressing the issue.

Mayor Muslih Madathil defended the corporation, stating that ₹20 lakh had been earmarked for a district panchayat project on stray dog control and discussions had been held at the State level to establish a shelter system. However, he admitted no concrete action had been taken and urged the State government to implement a centralised system to address the issue. The Mayor accused the Opposition of using the protest for media attention.

Published - December 04, 2024 12:35 am IST