Mumbai Beat

Contributions pour into Kargil fundThe Western Naval Command's Kargil Fund has crossed the Rs 55 lakh mark in two weeks for the benefit o...

Contributions pour into Kargil fund

The Western Naval Command8217;s Kargil Fund has crossed the Rs 55 lakh mark in two weeks for the benefit of soldiers fighting on the Kargil front. The command has extended the date for receiving contributions to July 10. Donations by cheques/DD may be forwarded to the Command Welfare Officer at HQ, WNC, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Mumbai-1. Or contact on 2665458 / 2660857. Meanwhile, officers of the Reserve Bank of India RBI have pledged two days8217; salaries amounting to Rs 50 lakh to the Prime Minister8217;s national relief fund for the jawans at Kargil. Also, employees and officers of Mumbai Customs will contribute a day8217;s salary towards the National Defence Fund. The effort was initiated by Chief Commissioner of Mumbai, G S Tampi, recently. The cheques will be forwarded to the Fund at the end of the month.

BMC plea on stray dogs rejected

A division bench of Bombay High Court consisting of Chief Justice Y K Sabarwal and Justice S H Kapadia today disposed off a review petition filed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC praying for setting aside the order of a division bench prohibiting the BMC dog squad to destroy stray dogs in the absence of members of non-govermental orgainsations NGOs.

A division bench had earlier passed an order on July 10 last year according to which the dog squad must take members of orgainsations working for the welfare of animals and dogs along with them before attending any complaint of stray dogs. The division in its order today said that a scheme for destroying the stray dogs will continue for a year on an experimental basis and the BMC officials can proceed to attend any complaint without taking any members of NGOs with them, but before leaving the office they should inform the NGOs about the complaint. Advocate General C J Sawant, who appeared on behalf of the state government, and advocate M B Rao who appeared on behalf of the BMC, contented that as per the BMC Act, the stray dogs unless claimed by anybody within three days and which are causing nuisance to the residents of the locality are liable to be destroyed. It was urged that the residents suffer mental and physical torture by the barking and biting of these dogs and even if these dogs are sterilised, thequestion of nuisance still continues.