Nashik
:
After years of complaints to the Niphad nagar panchayat about stray dogs terrorising neighbourhoods, Shiv Sena (UBT) workers on Wednesday decided it was time for civic officials to meet the canines in person. They delivered the problem straight to the civic chief’s desk — an unusual protest against the alleged failure to control the growing stray dog population.Yuva Sena district chief Vikram Randhave and his supporters entered the chief officer’s office and released five stray dogs and puppies inside. The protesters even placed the dogs on chief officer Dheeraj Bhamre’s table and draped it with a garland made of currency notes, saying residents were tired of assurances and wanted action.The protest prompted an immediate response from the civic body. Bhamre said the nagar panchayat had already floated tenders for a new sterilisation agency and was planning a larger dog shelter. Police, meanwhile, registered a case against five people in connection with the protest, though the offences invoked do not carry provisions for arrest.The dramatic demonstration reflected growing public frustration over repeated dog-bite incidents and the increasing presence of stray dog packs in Niphad town and nearby areas.Protesters claimed children, women, elderly residents and two-wheeler riders were among those most affected.“People no longer want assurances; they want action,” protesters said. Randhave alleged that residents had repeatedly sought sterilisation drives, dog-catching squads and sustained population-control measures, but the administration failed to act despite multiple complaints and memorandums. Randhave warned of a stronger agitation if effective measures were not taken.The protest briefly disrupted work at the nagar panchayat headquarters and drew attention from visitors and staff alike.Bhamre said an agency appointed earlier had sterilised 73 dogs before its contract ended in June. “We floated tenders twice to appoint another agency for sterilisation, but received no response. The tender has now been floated for the third time, and we are expecting a positive response from interested agencies,” Bhamre told TOI.He said the civic body currently operates a temporary shelter with a capacity for 20 dogs and is planning a larger facility that can accommodate 90 animals.“The district collector has approved Rs 20 lakh under the DPDC fund for the project, and the shelter is expected to become operational within a month,” he said.Following the incident, the nagar panchayat lodged a police complaint. Inspector Sarika Ahirrao said a case had been registered against five people under various sections of the BNS and provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.Ahirrao said the offences invoked in the case do not provide for arrest.