MCG terminates services of sanitation worker for ill-treating stray dogs

Taking cognisance of a video in which stray dogs are seen being allegedly ill-treated, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has terminated the services of

Taking cognisance of a video in which stray dogs are seen being allegedly ill-treated, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has terminated the services of an outsourced sanitation worker with immediate effect on Sunday.

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A two-minute-long video circulating on social media purportedly shows around a dozen men, some of them armed with wooden sticks and iron pipes, trying to grab stray dogs, stuff them into gunny bags, and pile them into a tractor-trolley in Sushant Lok 1.

In the first few seconds of the clip, a dog can be heard squealing as one of the men emerges from behind a car, lifting the animal by one of its hind legs, its head dangerously close to the ground. Two other dogs can also be seen barking in the background and are targeted by the men afterwards.

In the seconds that follow, the man can be seen trying to stuff the animal inside a gunny bag but, being unable to control it, he lifts the animal in his arms and carries it to a tractor-trolley parked close by, and hurls the animal over the edge. In the remaining minutes, even as the animal can be heard whining inside the tractor trolley, the men move towards the two other dogs, still holding gunny bags. The clip ends with the two animals running into another lane in the area, as the men stand and watch them from a distance, discussing how to capture them as well.

The incident took place on Saturday afternoon in Sushant Lok 1 which falls under the MCG’s Ward 32.

Anil Yadav, the husband of Arti Yadav, the councillor of Ward 32, said that upon receiving complaints from locals about a violent stray dog in the neighbourhood that had allegedly bitten several people, he had asked the supervisor of the sanitation workers in the area to transport the dogs elsewhere.

“I had received several complaints from locals about a violent stray dog in the area. Since the resources of the MCG are stretched amid the Covid-19 outbreak, and their firm for lifting and sterilising stray dogs is not functioning presently, I had asked the MCG’s sanitation supervisor in the area for assistance,” said Anil Yadav.

Yadav said that after one of the residents said that an NGO was willing to adopt the dogs, they were released from the tractor. He said that he has also apprised officials of the district administration and the MCG of the matter.

Initially, there was confusion among both the MCG officials and residents of Sushant Lok 1 who had attributed the incident to have taken place on the orders of Anil Yadav, the husband of Ward 33 councillor Sunita Yadav, who is also the deputy mayor of the city.

Before the territorial revision of MCG wards in 2017, Sushant Lok 1 fell under Ward 33. Sunita Yadav has been the councillor of Ward 33 since 2011 when the first MCG elections were held and retained her seat in the 2017 MCG elections as well.

The video shot by locals was circulated on social media and subsequently, several twitter users had tagged the district administration as well as the MCG, asking them to intervene.

In his tweet from his official handle, deputy commissioner Amit Khatri stated, “Thank you for bringing this to our notice. Due action has been taken against those responsible in this case. As district administration, we do not endorse any such act of cruelty against animals.”

On examining the video, MCG officials were able to identify the supervisor of sanitation workers in Sushant Lok 1.

In a letter issued by Hariom Attri, joint commissioner of zone 3, to the firm that outsources sanitation workers to the civic body (a copy of which is with Hindustan Times), Attri stated that a complaint was received on the MCG’s Twitter handle, and upon examining the video the supervisor of sanitation workers was identified.

“The inhumane activity by him (supervisor) can be clearly seen in the video. The activity by your employee without orders of the competent authority is intolerable and the act is a gross violation of the orders issued by the (Haryana) Government and Animal Welfare Board of India. The services of such irresponsible employee are no longer required in the Municipal Corporation, Gurugram,” excerpts from Attri’s letter stated.

Attri said that the other men seen in the video are not contractual employees of the MCG and are in no way associated with the civic body and hence, no action can be taken against them.