Gandhinagar: The Talati-Mantri Mahamandal has strongly opposed the state government’s decision directing Talati-cum-Ministers to catch stray dogs in villages, calling the order “insulting” and “impractical.” The body has refused to comply and has written to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel demanding that the order be withdrawn immediately.

“Forest officials are trained, they have manpower and resources, yet they struggle to catch leopards. We have no such experience, and still the government expects us to catch stray dogs? This is a shameful order. We will not catch dogs,” said Pankaj Modi, president of the Talati-Mantri Mahamandal.

The Panchayat and Rural Development Department’s commissioner recently issued instructions assigning Talati-cum-Ministers the responsibility of catching stray dogs in rural areas. The Mahamandal has opposed the directive, stating that Talatis are already overburdened with multiple administrative duties.

In their letter to the Chief Minister, Pankaj Modi and general secretary Ram Desai wrote that more than 10,600 Talati-cum-Ministers across Gujarat are already managing extensive non-panchayat revenue work, disaster management duties, birth and death registration, marriage registration, implementation of hundreds of government schemes, and election-related tasks including serving as assistant BLOs. Additionally, many Talatis hold charge of multiple villages. “In such conditions, assigning us the task of catching stray dogs is an insult to frontline staff,” the letter said.

The Mahamandal further argued that the state already has departments such as Animal Husbandry and Forests that employ trained personnel with the required skills. “Why should Talatis be asked to do this? We become a subject of ridicule in villages,” said Modi. The organisation has warned that if the commissioner’s order is not withdrawn, all Talatis will stage protests and hold demonstrations outside his office. DeshGujarat