Police intervene, Kolkata college withdraws ban on feeding stray dogs on campus
The notice, issued on February 12, said anyone found feeding dogs in the campus will be fined Rs 2,000.
The principal of Kolkata’s Lady Brabourne College has withdrawn a notice that banned feeding of stray dogs inside the campus. The order had triggered controversy and even resulted in a police complaint from an NGO. The college authorities backtracked after the police conducted an inquiry.
The notice was issued on February 12. It said if anyone - student, non teaching employee or teacher - was found feeding a dog on the campus, he or she would be fined Rs 2,000.
Read: 7-year-old mauled to death by stray dogs in Himachal
On February 13, Prasenjit Dutta, the treasurer of PAWS, an NGO, filed a complaint at Beniapukur police station following which police conducted an inquiry.
Dutta claimed that the police also received a call from the office of Maneka Gandhi, Union women and child development minister and a prominent animal rights activist. Police officers, however, refused to comment on this.
“Following the inquiry, the old notice was removed and an amended notice was issued by the principal. In the fresh notice, the penalty clause was removed and it said anyone found feeding dogs in the campus would have to face an inquiry by the college disciplinary committee. However, finally from February 15 morning, the directive was no more visible on the notice board. It means there will be no bar on anyone to feed dogs,” Dutta said.
Read: Nobody’s child: The stray dogs of the city
“It seems that the matter is settled,” said a police officer of Beniapukur police station requesting anonymity.
College principal Siuli Sarkar refused comment on Tuesday.
Sarkar earlier said she had to issue the directive after the dogs -- about 20 of them -- became a menace on the campus. They entered classrooms and even kitchen and rooms of the hostel that is located inside the campus.
She also said that she took the decision after several complaints from students and guardians.
Incidentally, actor-turned-Trinamool Congress MLA, Debasree Roy, who runs Debasree Roy Foundation, an NGO for animal rights, also criticised the notice both, slamming it for being inhuman as well as illegal.
Established in July 1939, the college is located adjacent to Park Circus Maidan in south Kolkata and is one of the premier colleges for women in the city.