A firm assigned by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to carry out vaccination and sterilisation of stray dogs lacks mandatory project recognition from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), members of the statutory body have alleged, saying the agency is operating in violation of Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules.
Anjali Gopalan, a member of AWBI, said no agency can operate without a project recognition certificate. “An agency must obtain this certificate to ensure that proper procedures are followed and adequate infrastructure is in place for the sterilisation and vaccination of dogs, safeguarding them from any cruelty. Until the certificate is issued by AWBI, no agency is authorised to sterilise, vaccinate, or even pick up stray dogs,” she said.
Under the ABC Rules, two distinct recognitions are required. The first is recognition by AWBI, establishing an agency’s eligibility to participate in the tendering process. The second – project recognition – is mandatory under Section 5 of ABC Rules, which states that no street dog sterilisation or vaccination program can be conducted unless the local authority or AWBI has granted project recognition for the initiative.
HT has checked the rules and confirmed the allegations.
Maa Baglamukhi, awarded the tender in November last year, commenced operations on January 28 without obtaining the requisite project-level recognition, according to MCG officials.
Ashish Singhla, chief medical officer at MCG, said the agency has been directed to secure project recognition at the earliest. “Since there is a significant gap in the vaccination and sterilisation of stray dogs, we asked the agency to commence operations. The rules provide a six-month window to obtain the necessary recognition, and failure to do so within this period will result in the agency being blacklisted,” he said.
Gopalan, however, maintained that any agency cannot commence ABC operations without project recognition. “This is a complete violation of Section 5 of ABC Rules,” she said.
Pankaj Shukla, vice-president of Maa Baglamukhi, admitted the firm is operating without the required recognition. “We have applied for the project recognition in February and we are hoping we will receive the certificate soon,” he said.
During a spot-check at the agency’s Baliyawas facility, HT found at least 30 dogs kept at the premises. A supervisor said they began operations in January and have picked up stray dogs after receiving complaints from residents. The NGO has two animal shelters in Gurugram – one in Baliyawas and another in Garhi Harsaru.