Complaints galore about corrupt burial ground

Complaints galore about corrupt burial ground
Julie Mariappan, TNN , Times of india,25 January 2009, 12:49am IST

CHENNAI: Ten months after the Chennai corporation announced free burial and cremation facilities in the city complaints are piling up about burial

ground caretakers demanding bribe to carry out the final rituals in several parts of the city. N Nishore, a businessman, who had give Rs 1,500 as cremation "charges" demanded by the caretaker at Kodambakkam burial ground on Wednesday said that neither he nor his relatives knew that cremation charges had been waived by the corporation. "We were asked to pay Rs 1,000 immediately after the cremation and we had no time to argue. They charged an an additional Rs 500 the next day, when we went to collect the ashes," Nishore told TOI. Later, when he came to know about the corporation's announcement through his friends, he lodged a complaint with the corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni, demanding action against the caretaker. Meanwhile, in Annai Sathya Nagar near MGR Nagar, M Leeladevi, a resident, was asked to pay Rs 500 for the cremation of his day-old baby. It was only after complaints were made to the higher-ups that the local officials turned up and sorted out the issue. "It is highly unpardonable. All caretakers have a monthly salary, and have no right to demand money from the public. No concrete action is taken against these people even when complaints are preferred to the officials concerned," says V Gopalakrishnan, a social activist. Angry residents of Pammal Nallathambi Street in MGR Nagar forced a caretaker to repay Rs 700 he had collected from a family to carry out a cremation. " There are also many caretakers wandering in the grounds and it is difficult to identify the genuine staff, as noone wears the uniform supplied by the local body. T Arumugam, a CPI activist said. In july 2008, the local body regularised the services of 183 burial grounds caretakers in the city at a monthly salary of Rs 5,445. In November 2008, Mayor M Subramanian and his vigilance team had nabbed two burial ground caretakers in Moolakothalam, while demanding bribe from a family to carry out a cremation. Both of them were later suspended. When contacted, corporatiaon Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said that caretakers in Mylapore and Otteri were suspended following complaints recently. "We will take necessary action to ensure that such irregularities do not happen again. Our vigilance officials are taking necessary action in the field," Lakhoni added.