Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, July 14: Questions have been raised over the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) decision to feed stray dogs a daily meal, with some citizens referring to it as “midday biryani” and questioning the use of chicken and public funds. In response, BBMP has issued a clarification to address doubts and defend the programme, which it says is rooted in welfare, public health, and legal mandates.
Concerns were voiced by various sections of the public, including Bangalore Rural MP Dr C N Manjunath, who questioned how the civic body could justify feeding dogs chicken, and whether BBMP could realistically manage to reach every street. Citizens also queried why the dogs could not be relocated to shelters, whether feeding them would cause the stray population to grow, and what the real benefit of the programme would be.
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The civic body had recently floated tenders to provide a daily meal to around 4,000 stray dogs at 11 am across nearly 100 designated locations in the city. According to BBMP’s plan, each dog will receive approximately 367.5 grams of chicken rice, amounting to around 750 calories per meal. The total estimated cost of the initiative is ?2.88 crore per year.
Addressing the concerns, Special Commissioner of the Animal Husbandry Department, Suralkar Vikas Kishor, said, “BBMP started feeding community (street) dogs during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a continuation of that effort, food was provided to a specific number of dogs last year as well. Based on lessons learnt from that programme, this year’s initiative is an improvement and is also a statutory requirement as per the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, notified by the Animal Welfare Board of India.”
Suralkar explained that feeding strays contributes to public safety by reducing aggression and instances of dog bites. It also makes it easier to catch dogs for sterilisation and vaccination, which supports both the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme and anti-rabies campaigns. Additionally, he noted, the initiative helps reduce the spread of zoonotic diseases.
He clarified that the programme does not aim to feed all of Bengaluru’s stray dogs. “Of the estimated 2.7 lakh street dogs in the city, only about 4,000 — those most vulnerable due to lack of access to food — have been targeted under this initiative. When implemented at the ward level with identified feeding spots, this can create a significant local impact. In other areas, dog feeding is already being actively managed by volunteer animal lovers and NGOs,” Suralkar stated.
He added that relocating or sheltering stray dogs en masse is illegal under existing animal welfare laws. “Dogs are carnivorous, the meals will be nutritionally balanced, consisting of boiled chicken (for protein), rice, and vegetables. This combination is designed to be suitable and easily digestible for street dogs,” he said. He further clarified that veterinary advice was taken in designing the meal plan.
Suralkar also stressed that the term ‘biryani’ does not appear in the official tender document. “The tender lists only the nutritional components of the meal,” he confirmed.
Animal activist Arun Prasad from Bengaluru supported BBMP’s move and echoed the benefits outlined by the civic body. “There are many like us who are spending from their pockets to feed strays. After repeated pressure from us, BBMP has taken up feeding. Like lions and tigers, dogs are carnivores, and there is no harm in feeding them chicken rice,” he said.
Prasad also addressed criticism about the cost to taxpayers, stating, “Taxpayers’ money is spent on so many unwanted things, and the amount the civic body is spending to feed strays is peanuts.”