Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Thursday raised doubts over the death of two siblings in Vasant Kunj allegedly in the stray dog attacks, saying only post-mortem will clarify "whether they were murdered or attacked by dogs." Speaking at a press conference, Oberoi flagged several "loopholes" in controlling the menace of stray animals by MCD in the last 15 years – a period when it was under the BJP. "Two children died in Vasant Kunj. It is still not clear whether they were murdered or killed in the attack by stray dogs. The post-mortem report is still not out. We are still waiting for the report," she said.
Over the last three days, the mayor has held several meetings with MCD officials and various NGOs associated with the civic body to discuss the menace of stray animals. She said that during the meetings held on the issue, she noticed several loopholes in the current system, including the lack of infrastructure for NGOs. She said she will be working to fill the gaps in order to make the sterilization program effective. "We have come to know that in the last 15 years, the issue was not tackled properly. There were several loopholes. There are 20 sterilization centers at present, out of which only 16 are active. The procedures are also questionable. Moreover, several NGOs are associated with BJP. There was no proper infrastructure," she said.
"It was found that there are approximately 6 lakh stray dogs in Delhi, but no census has been taken in the last 7-8 years," she added. Oberoi held an emergency meeting on Tuesday, during which she took account of the prevailing situation and heard the concerns of the department, her office said in a statement. Oberoi in the meeting instructed officials to prepare an action plan within a week to control the menace of stray dogs, it said.
The minor brothers were found dead in a span of two days in southwest Delhi's Vasant Kunj area. Seven-year-old Anand and five-year-old Aditya, his brother, lived with their parents in a slum cluster in Sindhi Basti. Anand had reportedly gone missing on March 10. On March 12, Aditya too went to the same jungle area, along with his cousin Chandan, 24, to defecate. Chandan left Aditya for some time and returned to find him injured and surrounded by stray dogs, police said. Aditya succumbed to injuries.
During their meeting with the Mayor, NGOs informed her that the sterilization centers are working below capacity due to the lack of budget, and they have asked for financial help to improve the infrastructure, the Mayor office said in a statement. The mayor said that the AAP government is committed to resolving the issue of stray dogs in Delhi and creating a safe and healthy environment for both the citizens and the dogs. Oberoi also met the 'gaushala' stakeholders in the city on Thursday with an objective to discuss the upkeep of cows and measures to prevent them from ending up on roads.
