Civic body pulled up over pyre platform

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has slammed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for filing a police complaint against Arya Samaj for removing 'unauthorised' semi-VIP pyre platform and railings erected by the social group at Nigam Bodh Ghat crematorium. HT reports.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has slammed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for filing a police complaint against Arya Samaj for removing 'unauthorised' semi-VIP pyre platform and railings erected by the social group at Nigam Bodh Ghat crematorium.

HT Image

The crematorium has different standards of pyres — 'VIP', 'semi-VIP' and 'ordinary'.

When Right to Information (RTI) activist SC Agrawal asked through RTI application as to who ordered the newly built semi-VIP platforms, resulting in discrimination at the cremation ground, the MCD washed its hands off saying it has not given any such orders.

Later, it came to light that Arya Samaj, which was given responsibility of maintaining the crematorium by the civic body, had unauthorisedly erected these railings. After the matter sparked a public uproar, Arya Samaj started removing these railings.

However, during a hearing on Agrawal's plea before the commission on Monday, the Arya Samaj officials said the civic agency had filed a police complaint against them for removing these 'unauthorised' railings.

MCD health official NK Yadav has even claimed that the semi-VIP platforms were more than 25 years old and no records of their creation are available, an argument which did not stand as these platforms were found to be recently built.