[sadhuji]

The life of a dog can certainly be interesting if it happens to be from Mumbai. Yes, as with anything that has the Mumbaiya stamp, the stray dogs here can heave a sigh of relief. They will, shortly, cease to be in the category of stray and can boast of a permanent address of sorts. The statistics are mind boggling – there are more than 5 lakh stray dogs in the city and the Government has earmarked two plots of land measuring 43 acres in Palghar and Thane to create shelters for these canines and sterilize them over a period of time. The problem would arise when the question of feeding these creatures crop up. As long as they were stray dugs, they used to fend for themselves by scrounging in dust bins and fighting with others of their tribes over the leftover foods. However, once they are captured, their feeding becomes a responsibility of the Government. Considering a meager Rs 12 per day for each dog, this works out to Rs 4.38 crores for 10,000 dogs and with a kitty of 5 lakh animals, the cost would run into several crores! The question is – where would this fund come from?

Of course, one can spot some bright faces in the background – to them this exercise would open up one more avenue of lining their pockets because dogs cannot protest over the quality or quantity of food. Hence manipulation of procurement and consumption figures would be child’s play.

[jyotirmoy]

Yes you are right Sadhuji any project we take up some people always manage to make money out of them.
Sterelizing stray dogs was taken up in Delhi which also has a huge canine population. Contracts were as usual given to the lowest bidder. The result? Some unfortunate dogs were being sterilized over & over again !!!!! Now there is a proposal to implant a smart chip to identify a sterilized dog. Soon there will be a tender for supplying these chips and some people will make money.
Now the oft repeated question... WHY NOT ME ??????

[priya]

So, more than one problem is about to manifest itself.   

Food, first and foremost for these dogs - will they ever receive any, however meagre?
Shelter for the warring factions - together?????
Once sterilized, back onto the streets after having been in captivity for a few months, or will they be housed permanently in these plots of land?  

Yes, Sadhuji, some pockets will be very well lined once this project is underway.  As for the funding - maybe more money will be printed - as we do here, when we run out

This whole scenario is mind boggling, as you so rightly said.