Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan has said that stray dog numbers were abounding in the State. Local Self Government Institutions (LSGIs) have failed to protect residents from stray dog attacks.
The Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme was halted because of a lack of trained personnel and erratic State funding.
Mr. Satheesan said the Opposition had raised public concern about the potency of the anti-rabies vaccine in the Assembly.
However, Health Minister Veena George failed to assuage public fear and acted dismissively, Mr. Satheesan alleged.
Strays are menacing public parks, bus stops, beaches, streets, school and college grounds and main thoroughfares. They often chase two-wheeler riders, resulting in road accidents.
He said that the death of dog bite victims, despite treatment and inoculation, has caused a public health scare. School children, senior citizens, and commuters were vulnerable to surprise stray dog attacks. The government has to tackle the situation urgently.
Mr. Satheesan demanded compensation for road users imperilled by the lack of cautionary boards or negligence on the part of contractors.
He urged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to settle the fisher’s strike against the breakwater construction at Vizhinjam. “The government should not view the strike with hostility. Instead, it should address the issues raised by the coastal community and Thiruvananthapuram Latin Catholic Archdiocese with empathy”, he said.
