While most of us are comfortably locked up in our homes due to the coronavirus, our furry street friends have been struggling to get some food. These strays who generally survive on leftovers from restaurants, dhabas, or roadside eating joints, are now left to fend for themselves given that their regular sources of food are shut due to the nationwide lockdown.
In A Notable Move, Odisha Sanctions ₹ 54 Lakhs For Feeding Strays
In a move that deserves more than accolades, the Odisha Government has sanctioned ₹ 54 lakhs to feed stray animals in various cities and towns across the entire state.
According to a letter sent by the Housing and Urban Development Department to Commissioners of several municipal corporations and executive officers of municipalities in the State, “Thousands of stray animals in the state are having a hard time finding food as markets, eateries and hotels are closed due to the 21-day lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus outbreak.” Keeping this in mind, “The state government has approved ₹ 54 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to five municipal corporations and 48 municipalities for feeding the stray animals during the lockdown period.”
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Municipal Corporations And Municipalities To Get Different Amounts
In line with the move, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has been granted ₹ 20,000 per day for feeding the animals. The urban local bodies of Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela and Sambalpur will get ₹ 10,000 daily for the purpose and the municipalities will get ₹ 5,000 each, according to a local official.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister’s Office tweeted, “Appreciate @speak animals for coming forward to feed the hungry animals who are without food due to #21DaysLockDown. Such compassionate gesture during the hour of crisis helps in mitigating the suffering of these voiceless.”
Appreciate @speak_animals for coming forward to feed the hungry animals who are without food due to #21DaysLockDown. Such compassionate gesture during the hour of crisis helps in mitigating the sufferings of these voiceless.
#OdishaFightsCorona https://t.co/B8hRHlU9SS
— CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) March 30, 2020
While many animal rights activists, NGOs, and citizen groups have undertaken the task of feeding strays, a few States other than Odisha haven taken the lead from the front. The Assam government has issued passes to animal welfare organizations and individuals for feeding strays. And in Jammu and Kashmir, the local administration has urged people to fed stray animals and birds.
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