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The Health Minister is planning to reduce the number of dogs from 2.5 million to one million in order to eradicate rabies in Sri Lanka Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said on Tuesday.

Addressing a gathering in Colombo yesterday he said that the government aims at ensuring a rabies free Sri Lanka and that the on going anti rabies vaccination programme could cater for only, 500 dogs.

"There are two thousand dog bites per day and every dog is a problem, for me and my ministry. My vision is to bring down the dog population."

Silva said that the cost of the hydrophobia injection is rupees 1,500 and every dog bite victim wants the cure whether the animal is tested for rabies or not. The government cannot afford such expenditure in the long run.

Minister added that plans are a foot to increase the dog licence fee. Minister is of the opinion that the current licence fee of rupees 10 should be increased to rupees 100/-.

The Minister said that his ministry is planing to set up a national policy on rabies prior to the forthcoming South East Workshop on Rabies in Sri Lanka.

Acting Colombo Mayor Azath Salley said that already two deaths had taken place due to dogs bites in Colombo.