No biryani in ₹2.88 crore meal plan for Bengaluru stray dogs, clarifies BBMP

The Bengaluru civic body issued the clarification on Sunday, responding to misinformation and memes circulating on social media.

Amid a flurry of online chatter, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has clarified that its new chicken meal plan for stray dogs does not include biryani, Deccan Herald reported.

BBMP plans to spend ₹2.88 crore annually to feed chicken rice to around 4,000 stray dogs. (HT_PRINT)

The civic body issued the clarification on Sunday, responding to misinformation and memes circulating on social media.

As part of its broader animal birth control efforts, BBMP plans to spend ₹2.88 crore annually to feed chicken rice to around 4,000 stray dogs across Bengaluru. The food will be provided in areas where capturing dogs or reducing their population has proven difficult.

According to Suralkar Vikas Kishore, BBMP’s Special Commissioner (Animal Husbandry), 100 feeding spots per zone will be set up across the city, serving food to an estimated 500 dogs daily, all year round. The initiative, he explained, is not a welfare scheme but a population control strategy that aligns with the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, the report added.

Meal plan details

According to the publication, each dog’s daily meal will cost the civic body ₹19 (excluding taxes), with ₹11 covering the cost of chicken rice, and ₹8 allocated for transportation, food supply, and site sanitation. Kishore noted that hungry, food-deprived dogs are more likely to form aggressive packs, often increasing the risk of bites. By ensuring regular feeding, the civic body hopes to calm aggressive strays, making it easier to capture, sterilise, and vaccinate them.

The programme has sparked mixed reactions, with some praising the compassionate approach and others questioning the expenditure. BBMP, however, maintains that the initiative is rooted in both public safety and compliance with national animal welfare guidelines.