A multi-crore rupee dog sterilisation exercise carried out by the Ratlam Municipal Corporation has come under serious scrutiny after an official probe and RTI responses revealed glaring differences between claims made on paper and the ground reality.
The civic body claimed that it carried out 33,000 stray dog sterilisations between 2022 and May 2025. A total payment of Rs 2.29 crore was released for the same. However, a subsequent municipal survey reportedly found that there are only 2,200 dogs in the city. This raised serious questions about the whereabouts of the remaining 31,000 dogs that were allegedly sterilised.
Payments made without physical verification or monitoring
The controversy came to light after a complaint was filed before the Lokayukta. An inquiry was initiated and the investigation revealed that for four consecutive years, payments were released to private firms without proper physical verification, on ground monitoring, or effective supervision.
According to media reports, records showed that between 2022 and 2024 alone, Rs 1,73,784 were released. The role of the municipal corporation’s nodal officer and other responsible officials has also come under the scanner.
According to the findings, two private firms claimed to have sterilised 114 dogs, but a significant mismatch was found between the approved rates, actual expenditure, and payments made.
In three instances, a rate of Rs 786 per dog was paid, while on one occasion, Rs 636 per dog was released. This has raised serious doubts, considering that the cost of a basic sterilisation kit alone is approximately Rs 845.
Government guidelines state that the complete sterilisation process, including catching the dog, surgery, medicines, post operative care, and veterinary fees, costs around Rs 1,600 per animal. How the procedure was allegedly carried out at less than half this amount has become a central question in the investigation.
No visible impact on stray dog population or dog bite cases
Despite claims of large-scale sterilisation, there has been no visible reduction in the number of stray dogs on Ratlam’s streets. Nor has there been any significant decline in dog bite incidents. Civil hospital records have shown around 20-30 minor dog bite cases daily.
Mayor assures action after investigation
Reacting to the matter, Ratlam Mayor Prahlad Patel said he had only recently become aware of the complaint submitted before the Lokayukta. He added that as the matter was under Lokayukta investigation, a detailed inquiry would be conducted and appropriate legal action would be taken against any official found guilty.
