Barred from using PUDA land for cremations, Amritsar’s Durgiana committee fumes

The committee, which manages the affairs of one of the two major cremation grounds in Amritsar, including Shivpuri, claimed that Punjab CM had announced to give a 3-kanal plot to them for expanding the current crematorium

The Durgiana temple committee has upped its ante against the district administration for not allowing it to use a plot of Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) land for cremations and related services amid the rush of bodies of Covid victims.

PUDA has asked the temple body to vacate the land. (Representational photo)

The plot, adjoining the Shivpuri cremation ground, is being used by the temple committee for stocking up wooden logs used in cremations. The committee, which manages Amritsar’s two major crematoriums, including Shivpuri, has claimed that Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh had announced to give the three-kanal plot to them for expanding the Shivpuri crematorium.

As per the committee, a team of PUDA and Punjab Police officials visited the plot on Saturday, and directed to vacate it “forthwith”. Before the second pandemic wave hit the country, 10 to 15 Covid bodies were cremated at the Shivpuri ground. However, the count of bodies has gone up to 45 per day for the past few weeks.

He said, “PUDA, with the help of police, has asked us to vacate the land. We are using the plot for public cause in this trying time. We are not asking them to let us use the space for free, but they should at least consider the situation.”

“Going forward, we will charge the police for cremating unidentified bodies, for they are helping PUDA to bar us from doing humanitarian work,” he said.

Amritsar Development Authority’s chief administrator Palavi and additional chief administrator Amandeep Kaur didn’t respond to calls.