Post News Network
Puri: The state government plans to expand the area of the Swargadwar cremation ground in Puri by acquiring an additional 1.75 acres.
The decision was taken recently at a meeting chaired by housing and urban development department commissioner-cum-secretary G Mathi Vathanan at the secretariat in Bhubaneswar to facilitate the cremation of more bodies, which are being carried to the holy city from across the state, according to sources.
The meeting was attended by senior officials, including director, urban local bodies’ administration Sachin R Jadav, Puri tehsildar Shubhanand Mahapatra and municipal executive officer Sanjeev Kumar Mishra.
“The district administration will acquire 1.75 acres close to Swargadwar from private parties at the prevailing market price,” said an official of the district administration.
At least 10 bodies could be cremated at a time at Swargadwar after the expansion work, city municipality sources said.
“We plan to establish a parking lot, a drinking water facility and a rest shed at Swargadwar for the welfare of people who brings the bodies of their relatives for cremation,” Mishra said.
The district administration had provided 900 decimal land to the city’s municipal body in 1985 for the establishment of a full-fledged cremation ground at Swargadwar, according to sources. It had also provided an additional 100 decimal land to the civic body for expansion of the cremation ground in 1988. However, the civic body had constructed a market complex on the 100 decimal land.
Collector Aravind Agarwal had served a show cause notice on the municipal body in this regard February 17 this year. The municipal authorities are yet to submit their report to the district administration, sources said.
