RTI EFFECT : DISCRIMINATION IN CREMATION AT NIGAMBODH GHAT (DELHI) TO GO
Mahendra Kumar Gupta
RTI EFFECT : DISCRIMINATION IN CREMATION AT NIGAMBODH GHAT (DELHI) TO GO
A block of three pyres was converted and designated as semi-VVIP’ pyre-block by distinguishing it from other pyre-blocks through putting an iron-grill around the said pyre-block at Delhi’s most widely used and popular Nigambodh Ghat cremation ground. The matter was first raised through an RTI petition dated 13.03.2008, when the file was closed after Municipal Health Officer Dr NK Yadav misled Central Information Commission by revealing that the semi-VVIP pyre-block was also more than 25 years old like the only raised VVIP platform in Delhi’s most popular cremation-ground Nigambodh Ghat.
Lie of Municipal Health Officer was evident when Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in a subsequent RTI petition admitted that they had constructed later-converted semi-VIP pyre-block like a normal one, but iron-railings were put after they handed over the cremation ground to Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sometime after the year 2000.
MCD again misled Central Information Commission by producing a letter from a junior employee Naresh of Arya Samaj Lodhi Road, suggesting that iron-railings were put by them working under public-private partnership, and not by MCD.
Arya Samaj Lodhi Road on being grilled through yet other RTI petition, approached the petitioner on 21.12.2010 through its said employee Naresh (mobile-number 9711262035) urging to close the matter now listed before Central Information Commission on 27.12.2010 at 11.30 am) assuring to remove iron-railings from the pyre-block on 22.12.2010.
The petitioner apart from grilling through RTI petitions raised the matter through helpline on website of President of India. MCD authorities even deliberately avoided responding to submissions made there, for which also they have been taken to task through an RTI petition at Union Ministry of Urban Development. All correspondence etc are with the petitioner now in a big bulky file.
Your esteemed news-channel/newspaper can take a video-recording of iron-railings being removed by contacting Naresh on mobile number on mobile-number 9711262035. Version of DDA can be recorded by contacting their officer handling the RTI petition Shri Mahesh Singhal on mobile-number 9999762100.
It is indeed a shame that MCD personnel erected iron-grills to charge money under-table for a ‘privileged’ cremation to affording ones. It is also a shame on our status-conscious society which even in time of grief and sorrow losing some other beloved ones, are eager for an ugly show of status by cremating them in a semi-VVIP status.
SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL
(Guinness Record Holder & RTI Activist)
1775 Kucha Lattushah
Dariba, Chandni Chowk
DELHI 110006 (India)
Mobile 9810033711 Fax 23254036
E-mail subhas...@sify.com