For The First Time In India, BBMP Allocates ₹2.88 Crore To Feed Stray Dogs Chicken Rice Under A New Scheme

In a first-of-its-kind move, Bengaluru’s civic body, BBMP, has launched a new dog-feeding scheme that will serve chicken rice daily to around 5,000 stray dogs. It aims to take a step towards the welfare of these voiceless animals. Read on to know more about this in detail. 

BBMP To Sponsor Daily Chicken Rice Meal For Stray Dogs

The Congress-led Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), a civic body in Bengaluru, has announced that it will spend ₹2.88 crores under a new scheme to provide cooked chicken and rice meals to 5,000 stray dogs across the city. This first-of-its-kind initiative in the country has been welcomed by many animal lovers in the city. As per a report by India Today, BBMP will spend ₹22 per dog for 367 grams of chicken rice, bringing the estimated annual cost to ₹2.88 crores. 

Initially named ‘Kukkir Tihar’, the programme was announced as a public participation initiative encouraging people and communities to take responsibility for caring for stray animals. It aimed to serve a menu of meat, chicken, and egg rice across BBMP’s 8 administrative zones. However, the move was not received well by Tamil Nadu Congress MP Karti P. Chidambaram, who took to X to question the programme and highlight potential health risks. He also stressed the need for dedicated shelter homes for stray dogs. As a long-term solution, he suggested this would help manage the growing stray dog population in the city.

Also Read: Bengaluru: BBMP Plans To Feed Stray Dogs With Leftover Food From Hotels

Civic Body Now Inviting Proposals From FSSAI-Registered Service Providers 

As per a report by Times Now, BBMP officials said the scheme will ensure every street dog is well fed, reduce scavenging, and help control aggression among strays. According to the issued tender, BBMP is inviting proposals from registered service providers to deliver daily feeding services for 500 dogs per zone across 8 BBMP zones: East, West, South, RR Nagar, Dasarahalli, Bommanahalli, Yelahanka, and Mahadevapura.

However, only food service providers registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) can apply. As per the report, the BBMP officials will keep the contract valid for 1 year. They will decide on an extension based on the performance.

Also Read:Bengaluru: BBMP Announces BluGreen Awards To Acknowledge People Working On Climate Action Goals

What do you think of this new initiative towards animal welfare by BBMP? Let us know.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/aallal-anas (Representative Image)