Thiruvananthapuram: Kuttichal grama panchayat has issued a 15-day eviction notice to a private stray dog shelter housing around 150 dogs at Karandakamchira near Kottoor, escalating the dispute between the local body and the city corporation over the rehabilitation centre.The issue had earlier triggered a dispute between Kuttichal panchayat and Thiruvananthapuram corporation, which has been using the facility to accommodate stray dogs picked up from the city as part of its animal birth control and rehabilitation initiatives.The eviction notice was served on the owner of Nibu Integrated Farm, which operates the shelter, on Oct 30. The panchayat has directed the management to remove all the dogs from the premises and close down the facility within 15 days, invoking provisions of Kerala Panchayat Raj Act. The panchayat has warned that it would approach the court if the directives are not complied with within the stipulated period.Panchayat president Radha Jayan said the decision followed repeated complaints from locals, who alleged that the presence of a large number of dogs had created serious problems in the neighbourhood. The panchayat had earlier issued a stop memo to the facility following complaints about its functioning and the alleged absence of necessary local body permissions.“We have issued an eviction notice giving the management 15 days to remove the dogs. If they fail to comply, the panchayat will explore legal proceedings,” Jayan said.Meanwhile, the corporation is preparing to challenge the panchayat’s action legally. A senior corporation health official said the civic body would approach the court against the eviction notice, arguing that the facility was being used for its stray dog management programme.The shelter, which earlier housed between 125 and 200 dogs, had come under scrutiny following complaints. There were also allegations that some dogs had escaped from the facility, creating problems for residents and posing a threat to wildlife in the adjoining forest area.
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