Kolkata college revokes notice banning students from feeding stray dogs

Authorities of south Kolkata’s Lady Brabourne College have revoked a notice where they had prevented students from feeding stray dogs on campus. The revocation comes after complaints were issued by an NGO and subsequently police action.

Siuli Sarkar, principal of Lady Brabourne College in south Kolkata had put up a notice on February 12 that no students, teachers and non-teaching staff members would feed stray dogs within the college campus and that violation of the rule would attract a penalty of Rs 2,000. She had also said that the notice was put up because students and teachers had been complaining of the menace that was created owing to feeding of stray dogs within college campus and also that these dogs often raided the canteen kitchen posing a possible health hazard.

Later, as the notice went viral in social media members of Pashupati Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) contacted the principal via email asking her to withdraw the notice and at the same time they also put in a complaint at the local police station.

PAWS authorities said that after they complained, there was a police inquiry and then the notices was withdrawn. “On February 13, a day after we put in a complaint, police officials conducted an inquiry. Later the notice was replaced with an amended one in which the penal clause was removed but it said that whoever was found guilty of feeding stray dogs within the campus would have to face a probe by the college’s disciplinary committee. On February 15, however, no notice was seen at the college which meant that the notice was not effective anymore,” said P Dutta, treasurer, PAWS.

Sources at Beniapukur PS, where the complaint was lodged said that the matter had been sorted out. Principal of the college refused to comment on the issue.