Canine transfers set opposition tongues wagging

By Chandrakant Naidu

Bhopal, July 13 (IANS) The latest transfers ordered by the Madhya Pradesh government include 46 "four-legged" cops on the list along with their handlers.

The transfers have set the opposition leaders' tongues wagging. Taking a dig at the government, BJP state Vice President Vijesh Lunawat tweeted: "The Great Kamal Nath Government did not spare even dogs from the transfer business. Dog squad transferred in Madhya Pradesh."

The preceding BJP-led government had also carried out a similar exercise nearly three years back without issuing a press handout. The current transfers have been caused by the ageing of some dogs serving at the Chief Minister's residence.

Commandant 23rd battalion, Simala Prasad, who issued the transfer orders, said, "Rima and Jaya, who have been in the Chief Minister's residence for almost two years, have been replaced due to ageing. Both of them had completed over nine years of service."

It is believed that these dogs are no longer agile enough to secure the Chief Minister's residence. This is the first time when the posting list of a large number of police dogs has been released. The police department treats them as routine exercise.

Three new dogs -- Sikandar, Duffy and Renu -- have now been placed at the Chief Minister Kamal Nath's residence. Eight-year-old Duffy was till recently posted in Chhindwara. Renu is a month elder to Duffy.

Officials believe that six-year-old Sikandar has also been selected to protect the Chief Minister's residence. These three sniffer dogs have been trained in the 23rd Battalion of Special Armed Force of the state government.

The state police had also acquired two Belgian Malinois pups in April and they, along with 24 other newly acquired dogs, are being trained at the same battalion. So far, these dogs have been used by the Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Forest Department.

The preliminary 12-week training has been completed at the police training school (PTS) in the state capital. The next phase would include a nine-month schedule in three steps. They will specialise in detecting cases as trackers, sniffers and narcotics detectors. The training will also include mingling in crowd, house manners and obedience.

According to the order, the handlers of the tracker, sniffer and narcotics dogs from 23 Battalion Dog Squad have been given new postings in different districts of the state and have been ordered to rejoin immediately along with their dogs.

The government has, for some years, discontinued the ranking of dogs as constables, sub-inspectors etc.

(The writer can be contacted at chandrakant.naidu@gmail.com)