Govt reply sought on steps taken to revive electric crematoriums

PATNA: The Patna high court on Friday asked the urban development and housing department (UDHD) principal secretary to submit a detailed counter affidavit within two weeks, informing it about total number of electric crematoriums in the state and how many of them are functional or lying defunct.

The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Anil Kumar Upadhyay also sought to know from the principal secretary about the money allocated by the state government for establishing or repairing electric crematoriums in the state.

The court has also asked the principal secretary to come up with a reply on action taken by the state government for repair of old crematoriums and installation of new ones across the state.

The bench passed the orders while hearing two PILs filed by Mukesh Ranjan of Vaishali and Vikash Chandra alias Guddu Baba of Patna in February and April this year, respectively.

Ranjan had urged the court to direct the officials concerned to make a defunct electric crematorium at Konhara Ghat in Hajipur functional besides establishing at least one such crematorium in every district. Chandra, on the other hand, had urged the court through his PIL to direct the state government to restart all defunct electric crematoriums in the state, including three in Patna. While Ranjan was represented by his counsel Shashi Shekhar Tiwari, Chandra appeared in person.

During Friday’s hearing, Chandra apprised the court that though the state government had sanctioned funds for establishing electric crematoriums at Mokama, Bhagalpur and Munger in 2017, nothing has been done yet.

On November 26, a division bench headed by Chief Justice had observed that the government should establish at least one electric crematorium in all important cremation ghats in the state.

On July 14, 2014, while hearing another writ petition, a division bench of Patna high court had observed that the state government should establish one electric crematorium in every district headquarter in a bid to reduce environmental pollution.

The division bench of Chief Justice Karol and Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh had taken notice of old order while hearing the matter on November 18 this year and directed the UDHD principal secretary to file an affidavit on action taken till now on the basis of the high court’s five-year-old observation.