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Extra numeric on dog-sterilisation outlay leaves Haryana govt looking for answers
While local bodies minister stated on the floor of the house that the Yamunanagar MC spent ₹14.25 cr on sterilisation of 16,170 stray dogs, RTI reveals amount paid to the company was ₹1.42 cr
In a major embarrassment for the Haryana government, a huge statistical mismatch on the amount incurred on sterilisation of dogs has come to the fore.
In his unstarred question during the winter session of the state assembly that ended last month, Congress MLA from NIT Faridabad, Neeraj Sharma, had sought information on the amount incurred on stray dogs’ sterilisation between 2014 and October 2022.
In his response, urban and local bodies minister Dr Kamal Gupta had said that 14 municipal bodies in the state have spent ₹17.46 crore on sterilising 1.37 lakh stray dogs in 13 districts from 2014 to 2022.
It was also stated that the Yamunanagar-Jagadhari municipal corporation (MC) has spent ₹14.25 crore on sterilisation of 16,170 stray dogs that roughly amounts to ₹8,814 per dog.
Accordingly, the amount incurred by the Yamunanagar authorities accounted for nearly 80% of the total amount spend by the municipalities in the state.
The reply, as asked by the MLA, also mentioned that “no irregularities have been found by the government in any district during the above said period” in this regard.
However, an RTI accessed by Hindustan Times depicts a completely different story.
It said the amount incurred on the sterilisation was ₹1,42,29,600 ( ₹1.42 cr), suggesting ₹14,25,29,600 ( ₹14.25 cr) is a false figure.
In reply to Rajender Kumar Panchal, a local who had sought details through an RTI on December 16, 2019, the civic body on July 14, 2020 had said that a tender for the sterilisation and vaccination was floated on May 27, 2015, that was awarded on August 3, 2015.
The reply added that two firms applied with different rates, out of which Tirupati Foundation from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh was given the contract that had given its rate as ₹1,050 per dog, but after negotiation, agreed to ₹880 per dog.
The RTI mentions that the company sterilised 16,170 dogs and was paid ₹1,42,29,600 ( ₹1.42 cr).
On this, MLA Neeraj Sharma told the HT, “It is shameful that the members are being misled in such a manner. If the RTI is to be believed, the government should take action against those responsible.”
On being reached out for a comment, MC commissioner Ayush Sinha said the records will be checked to determine if it was a technical error or “something else”.
The local bodies minister was not available for comments despite several attempts to reach him through calls, text messages and WhatsApp.
When contacted, assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta told HT, “I will ensure action against those responsible if wrong figures are quoted or replied.”
Interestingly, the government recently faced a similar situation on the floor of the assembly, when Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA Abhay Singh Chautala pointed out to the data variation on deaths in Haryana due to consumption of spurious and illicit liquor from 2016 to 2022.
On this, home minister Anil Vij assured the House that the lapse will be inquired and responsibility fixed.
In another case, the government had to suspend two officials of the education department and chargesheet two others for providing “wrong information” to the Vidhan Sabha in response to a question by Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) MLA Naina Chautala.
