Veterinary dept shortages hit stray dog capture
New Delhi, Aug. 22 -- At a time when the issue of stray animals in the national capital is directly under the spotlight, the key department which is expected to control the stray dog and cattle population is not only headless but also suffers from large-scale vacancies across different job profiles.
According to MCD data, of 649 sanctioned posts in the veterinary department, 277 are vacant, which is a shortfall of 42.68%. The post of director has remained vacant for over nine months, while one of two additional director posts is also unfilled. A senior municipal official said that the leadership gap is hampering coordination. "The director is expected to steer the department and oversee its functions. Now that a mammoth exercise has been ordered by the court, the manpower will need to be increased, but we don't have employees even on sanctioned posts," the official said.
The Supreme Court recently ordered that all stray dogs in Delhi and the National Capital Region must be rounded up and housed in shelters "at the earliest". The court directed authorities to create shelters for at least 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks, begin immediate capture operations, and make "localities free of stray dogs".
The MCD official said that supervisory roles are also affected. According to the data, 60% of veterinary officer posts, with 27 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 45, are vacant....
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