Sufi said the Shehr-i-Khamoshan project had been started last year in view of the dismissal condition of graveyards. PHOTO: ONLINE
He said the SMU (Law and Order) had recommended to the chief minister that an authority be set up to oversee affairs of the model graveyards. He said the presence of an authority would ensure consistency in affairs of model graveyards across the province.
Sufi said a special committee would soon be formed to prepare a plan for the structure and functions of the authority. The committee would be headed by Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan and would include secretaries of Law, Auqaf and Local Government and Community Development departments besides himself, he added.
Sufi said the Shehr-i-Khamoshan project had been started last year in view of the dismissal condition of graveyards in the province. He said the model graveyards developed under the project would be equipped with all burial-related facilities. These would include hearse service, coach service, a toll-free helpline, a mortuary, bathing facilities, janazgah and a centre for issuance of death certificates, he added.
He said four model graveyards had been approved since the launch of the project last year. He said development of these graveyards was underway in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Sargodha in collaboration with the respective district governments.
He said the provincial government had received requests from several MPAs from other districts for establishment of model graveyards in their areas. He said that the town municipal officers concerned were currently in charge of monitoring and supervision of graveyards. However, he said the decision to set up an authority for the purpose had been taken in view of the lack of enough resources at the TMO level.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2016.
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