An independent lawmaker in Jammu and Kashmir today served an "ultimatum" to the government to curb the stray dog menace in the state failing which he would catch and drop five canines in the house of every minister.
"Dogs rule the roost in our area; people are scared to move out. I give you an ultimatum of four months to get rid of the stray dogs in the Valley," Independent MLA from Langate assembly constituency Engineer Rashid said while participating in the debate over grants of power sector today.
He said that if the government fails to take action in the stipulated time frame, he would drop 5 dogs in the house of every minister in the state.
"If no action is taken in the four months, I would catch and drop five dogs each in the house of every minister of the state," he said.
Rashid had also moved a private member's bill in the Assembly seeking killing of stray dogs in the state in view of the canines mauling to death two children in Kupwara district earlier this month.
"I have brought a bill in the upcoming assembly session with respect to curbing the severe dog menace in the state," he had told media earlier this month.
The bill also includes a provision of providing Rs 10 lakh to the family of deceased humans as a result of dog bite and Rs five lakh to the injured.
The stray dog population in Kashmir has risen significantly over the past two decades in view of ban on killing of the canines.
The government in 2012 launched a sterilisation drive of the dogs to control the burgeoning canine population but failed due to lack of adequate resources.
