Animal bodies spar over funds
The long feud between the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and the 125-year-old Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has reached an all-time high.
AWBI has denied funds to the premier animal welfare organisation for carrying out animal birth control programmes (stray dog sterilisation) in Chennai as it feels that SPCA was not transparent in handling the grants provided.
The SPCA, in its annual report for 2012, has admitted that AWBI has been dilly-dallying over releasing the annual grants and demanding a stability report on the stray dog population in Chennai.
The report said it was the role of Chennai corporation to control the stray dog population in the city. As AWBI turned a deaf ear to the reasoning, SPCA has been carrying on the animal birth control programme with public donations, the report read.
“A band of Englishmen dedicated to the cause of animal welfare began the institution but all is not well with the audits of SPCA. The society, which should have the Chennai collector as one of its officer-bearers, takes suo motu action while renting out and leasing its properties and the district collectorate is unaware of the developments and the lack of transparency in animal welfare activities has earned the wrath of AWBI,” SPCA insiders complained.
However, an SPCA office-bearer, seeking anonymity, denied the allegations and said the audits were available for clarifications. A few people wish to defame SPCA and are denying grants, said the office-bearer.
Animal welfare board sources maintained that animal birth control grants are provided to animal welfare organisations with clean records. “We are ready to encourage SPCA provided things are straight and clear,” the sources quipped.
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