Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has treated only 43.51 per cent of stray bulls it had treated in the year 2016-17.
As per the data shared in the Assembly last week, the BMC has treated only 560 stray bulls this year as compared to 2016-17 when 1,287 bulls were treated – the highest in last four years. Furthermore, while expenditure incurred on treatment of 572 bulls in 2017-18 was only Rs 2.15 lakh, it went up to Rs 14.47 lakh this year. Likewise, in 2018-19, a total of 630 bulls were treated with an expenditure of Rs 5.6 lakh. However, 1,083 bulls were treated with an expenditure of Rs 5.7 lakh in 2019-20.
“The figures indicate that while on paper expenditure has increased immensely, it isn’t being utilised for betterment of the animals. Bulls and other bovines in the city are increasingly being subjected to road mishaps and sustain severe injuries. However, there are a very few organisations to look after them,” said Sushant Mohapatra, an animal activist here.
Mohapatra also mentioned that the conditions for stray animals, especially stray bulls had worsened with the onset of pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. Although the civic authority claimed to have spent about Rs 10.60 lakh for feeding stray dogs and bulls in BMC area, animal rights activists stated that many bulls and cows have lost their lives due to lack of food.
It needs to be mentioned here that the civic authority, under animal welfare projects of the BMC, has been a running cattle welfare centre at Jamukoli. Spread over a land of about eight acres, the centre has a grazing ground and water supply and about 40 sheds that can house about 150 animals at a time.
Speaking on the issue of higher expenditure and lesser number of bulls being treated, a senior BMC official clarified, “Owing to Covid-19, we were able to treat less number of bulls. However, we had formulated plans to feed them and do their treatment on-sight rather than bringing back to the centres which shot our expenditure.”