CUPA’s Animal Birth Control centre shuts down

Claims delay on the part of BBMP in clearing its dues

The Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) centres of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are on the verge of shutting shop owing to an inordinate delay in disbursal of funds. Having been pushed to the brink, one such centre in Koramangala, which is managed by Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), an NGO, was forced to shut down about a month ago.

The CUPA centre performs at least 600 surgeries on canines every month. As per a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BBMP and CUPA, the Palike has to pay the organisation Rs. 1,000 for each surgery. However, since last August, the NGO claims that the civic body has not released funds.

“We have opted to cease functioning until our dues are cleared. The dues amounted to Rs. 48 lakhs, out of which Rs. 18 lakh was paid three days ago,” said Suparna Ganguly, co-founder of CUPA.

There have been similar instances in the past too, where dues were not paid, Ganguly said. In the beginning of 2017, CUPA had to temporarily shut shop as dues were not paid for eight months.

Other organisations, too, are in the same boat. Until 2015, BBMP was associated with five NGOs for its ABC and Anti Rabies Vaccine programmes. Two years ago, two organisations shut shop as they were unable to bear the financial burden, said activists. At present, three NGOs and two independent veterinarians are assisting in the programme.

Animal Rights Fund, associated with BBMP’s ABC rabies vaccination programmes said it is owed Rs. 6 lakh since 2008. This, over and above another Rs. 9 lakh pending for the last three months. Dileep Bafna, trustee, Animal Rights Fund, said that owing to the delay in clearing dues by the BBMP, they had to temporarily stop functioning twice, the most recent being in 2014.

Sarvodaya Sevabhavi Samsthe is the third organisation which is part of the BBMP’s programme. Vinay Moray, founder trustee of the NGO, said that it has been an incessant fight for survival. “Until 2016, we too faced problems with disbursal of funds. However, our situation has improved over the last one year. Prior to that, we had to take loans to run our operations,” he said.

Dr. G. Anand, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry, BBMP denied that any dues are pending. “We have cleared everything at our end. It is the responsibility of the NGOs to get it cleared from the Accounts Department,” he said.