Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 11 (ANI): The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is set to roll out a daily feeding programme for stray dogs, under which around 5,000 dogs will receive chicken rice and non-vegetarian meals each day.

A tender worth around Rs 2.8 crore has been issued to implement the programme across BBMP's eight zones. Each zone is expected to cover between 400 and 500 street dogs.

Special Commissioner Suralkar Vikas Kishore confirmed that an action plan has been submitted to the BBMP Commissioner and is awaiting approval. Once approved, the tendering process will begin. The quantity of food will be based on veterinary recommendations, with each dog receiving a meal containing 700 to 750 calories.

'We have already submitted the action plan to the commissioner. After approval, the tender process will begin. After that, the amount of food prescribed by our veterinarian will be given to the dogs,' said Suralkar Vikas Kishore.

The BBMP stated that the move follows a recent rise in dog bite incidents. 'Stray dogs cannot attack people because they are full,' said Suralkar, linking the feeding initiative to efforts aimed at reducing aggression in stray animals.

Pilot trials have already been conducted in some wards. As per the plan, each stray dog will be fed once a day at a cost of Rs 22.42 per dog, he added.

The move suggests that the bidders must operate a kitchen within BBMP limits and are responsible for preparing and distributing food, cleaning the feeding areas, and submitting reports.

Bengaluru is estimated to have around 2.8 lakh stray dogs. The current initiative will cover only about 2 per cent of this population. BBMP officials said further decisions on expanding the programme will be taken based on the outcomes of the initial rollout.

On Tuesday, Municipal employees from corporations across Karnataka staged a symbolic strike against the State government seeking fulfilment of various demands.

Employees of the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike), along with staff from various municipal corporations across the state, took leave from work to participate in the protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru.

Among the list of demands of the employees are the withdrawal of the Logsafe attendance system, the filling of 6,000 vacant posts and an end to the 'Suspend employees for silly reasons.' They are also demanding a reduction in the number of marshals on duty and promotions for engineers based on seniority, among others. (ANI)