Ghaziabad (UP), Oct 16: Amid a series of pet dog attacks, the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation has banned the residents from keeping the ferocious Pitbull, Rottweiler and Dogo Argentino breeds as pets.
The civic body issued a host of other guidelines on Saturday for pet-owners according to which they will have to get a licence for their dogs, which will be issued from November 1, and no family can keep more than one pet dog.
Pet-owners living in high rise complexes will have to use service lifts for taking their dogs out and make sure they wear a muzzle while in the public.
The decision comes amidst several dog bite incidents reported from various localities of the city in the recent months. The pet-owners will have to obtain registration within two months.
"The three breeds -- Pitbull, Rottweiler and Dogo Argentino -- are ferocious (khoonkhar), and no permission will be granted to keep these dogs. No licence will be issued. If somebody buys one of these, he/she will be responsible. All these three breeds have been banned in Ghaziabad," BJP leader and GMC councillor Sanjay Singh told PTI on Sunday.
Singh had moved s proposal to ban these breeds which was passed by the municipal body House.
He said people who already have these breeds of dogs will have to get them sterilized within two months.
Mayor Asha Sharma told PTI, "Sterilisation of the dogs has been declared compulsory in the board meeting of the civic body held on Saturday. Without sterilisation, certificate registration will not be granted."
"In case the dog is younger than six months, the owner will have to submit an affidavit with an assurance that they will get the pet sterilised when he becomes one," she added.
The mayor said dog-owners love their pets, but they must also think about the children who sustained severe injuries in dog attacks.
"More than 10 children suffered dog bites. A child in the Sanjay Nagar colony, Kush Tyagi, was attacked by a Pitbull and he got 150 stitches on his face. Four days later, another boy was attacked by a dog of this breed," she said.
All zonal officers of of the GMC have been instructed to issue notices to pet-owners to inform them about the rules and regulations passed in the board meeting.
On stray dogs, mayor Sharma said residents would be allowed to offer them food at a designated place.
"The Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam (GNN) would slap fines on dog-owners if complaints are received from RWA (Residents' Welfare Association)," she said.
Earlier, the Kanpur Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the Panchkula Municipal Corporation banned the pitbull and rottweiler breeds of dogs as pets within the city limits.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
ALSO READ: Cong candidate who moved Kerala HC for name reinstatement in voter list, wins
Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
