BHUBANESWAR: After facing backlash over its 'cruel and faulty' animal birth control (ABC) programme, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday swung into action and shunted SDVO Manoj Patnaik from the sub-divisional veterinary office to Cuttack.
BMC officials said that a new SDVO Suresh Mishra has been posted at the facility with immediate effect.
They said that the civic body has issued show-cause notice to Pyke Sentinel, the agency engaged for the ABC programme in BMC jurisdiction and Dr Saroj Pradhan, whose dog sterilisation method was in question, has also been removed.
A detailed bilingual SOP will be issued for ABC programme and adequate training and orientation of veterinarians and paramedic staff will be done on a priority basis.
On Wednesday, Mayor Sulochana Das and Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Singh visited the facility and ordered reconstitution of the internal monitoring committee with animal lovers and experienced veterinary doctors to monitor the service delivery and keep strict vigil of any violation or negligence in the service.
The service delivery agency for ABC programme was also asked to deploy experienced doctors along with skilled surgeons and paramedics.
The BMC Commissioner asked officials to ensure more CCTVs on the veterinary office premises. Additionally, he instructed for a face-lifting of the SDVO facility with thematic wall paintings, information, instructions and signages in the campus.
The civic body came under serious criticism from former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi as well as other animal welfare organisations for its faulty dog sterilisation programme at the SDVO facility in Saheed Nagar.
They alleged that the dogs were being operated on the pavement in the heat and no anaesthesia was being used in the process. Besides, there was also no post-operative care or pain killer and antibiotics.