Palampur, May 21
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Shanta Kumar has expressed concern over the rising problem of stray dogs and cattle across the country, saying the issue is affecting public safety and damaging India’s image globally.
He said incidents of dog bites were increasing rapidly, while stray cattle were disrupting traffic and forcing many farmers to abandon farming activities due to repeated crop damage.
Shanta Kumar suggested that the wealth and properties of temples across the country should be used to establish gaushalas for stray cattle. He said if every temple takes responsibility for running a gaushala, the problem of stray animals could be addressed to a large extent while also increasing temple income.
He further said municipal bodies, local councils, and government departments should work together to tackle the issue effectively. He also urged the government to launch sterilization drives for stray dogs and create designated shelters for them.
The former chief minister said it was unfortunate that cows, revered as “Gau Mata” in the country, were often seen eating garbage on roads. He appealed to the government to ensure better utilization of temple resources for a permanent solution to the growing stray animal and dog menace.
