Only 3 get dog-bite compensation in Pkl, 2.5 years after HC norms

Panchkula: Two-and-a-half years after the Punjab and Haryana high court laid down norms for compensating dog-bite victims, Panchkula has cleared payouts in just three cases, even as nearly 25,000 incidents have been reported in the district during this period.

At a recent meeting of the district-level committee (DLC) under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Parivar Suraksha Yojana (DAYALU-II), chaired by deputy commissioner Satpal Sharma, seventeen cases were taken up. Of these, three were approved, eight were deferred due to incomplete medical details, and four were rejected for not meeting scheme conditions, with remarks terming them as “normal road accidents”.

Officials flagged gaps in medical reporting and verification. The chief medical officer has been directed to hold training for doctors within a week to ensure clarity in injury assessment, including details such as number of teeth marks and severity. The CMO and deputy commissioner of police will verify medical records and FIR/DDR entries to facilitate timely decisions.

This was the second meeting under the scheme this year and the first time compensation has been awarded in the district. The three beneficiaries — the first in Panchkula — received varying amounts based on injury severity. Mohit Gupta from Sector 25 was granted Rs 10,000, Rahul Sharma from a panchayat area Rs 40,000, and Nisha Sood from Kalka Rs 50,000.

Gupta said a lack of awareness remains a key hurdle. “Victims often approach the municipal corporation after a bite but are not guided on the correct process. Compensation claims must be filed online on the DAYALU-II portal within 90 days, with FIR or DDR and medical documents,” he said.

Data from the civil hospital shows dog-bite cases are rising. The district recorded 14,230 cases in 2025, up from 10,875 in 2024 and 10,161 in 2023.

According to high court norms, compensation starts at Rs 10,000 per tooth mark and Rs 20,000 per 0.2 cm of wound.