BMC loses 1 crore in dog tax

Mumbai: This is no stray fact: There are 19,495 unlicenced pet dogs in the city, who have collectively chewed off over Rs 1 crore from the civic body's coffers.

In a reply to an RTI query, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has revealed its latest census shows there are 27,147 pet dogs in the city, but only 7,652 of them have licences. "Section 191 (A) of the BMC Act makes it mandatory for owners of pet dogs to obtain a licence by paying a tax of Rs 100 every year. But the BMC has so far failed to collect this revenue, incurring a loss of Rs 1 crore in the last five years," said Vilas Durve, the RTI activist who procured the information.

Last year, the civic body had issued a notice asking owners to get a licence, failing which their pets would be detained in civic dog pounds. "However, it is surprising that nearly 20,000 pet dogs still don't have one, and nothing has been done about it," said Durve.

The RTI reply states that the BMC suffers a recurring revenue loss of Rs20 lakh per annum due to non-levy of tax on dogs. The reply also states that the BMC has not prescribed any standard procedure to ensure issue of licences to all pet dogs and the procedure depends on voluntary approach.

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Sterilisation and vaccination cannot be ensured in the absence of suitable data. BMC's records show that nearly 25% of dog bites in the city are by pets. Since a licence is given only to those already vaccinated, it is seen as a way to check rabies, civic officials point out. "People who own pet dogs are largely from well-to-do families. But, surprisingly, they seem reluctant to get licences for their pets. They don't want to visit the ward office and stand in a queue," said Dr GT Ambe, executive health officer, BMC.

Animal rights activists, however, have lobbed the ball back in the BMC's court. "Though there is lack of awareness among pet owners, when have we seen a proactive campaign by the BMC to make people understand why a licence is necessary?" asked Anuradha Sawhney of the Animal Welfare Board of India. "Besides, the process itself is so tedious that it can put off most people. It took me over two years to get licences for both my dogs," she added.

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"We had thought of going door to door to check dog licences, but we are short-staffed. Instead, we spoke to a few dog owners and they suggested online registration. We are working on it, and in a month's time, pet owners can apply for licences online. We have also sent a proposal to the higher authorities to amend the act and introduce a fine in case a person fails to get a licence," said a senior BMC official.

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