Newly-inaugurated graveyard gets functional

Unfinished construction results in lapse of funds

RAWALPINDI:

With the newly-inaugurated graveyard in Rakh Dhamial, situated on a spacious area of 1,000 kanal of land, getting functional the pressing issue faced by the people of Rawalpindi has finally been resolved. Obtaining a grave for the burial of their loved ones was a serious issue for the citizens of the garrison city and cantt areas as all the 54 graveyards had run out of space.

According to the details, the long-standing and serious problem of the Rawalpindi City and Cantonment areas of non-availability of space for burial in the existing graveyards was not being resolved although the government possessed an area of 1,000 kanal of land.

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Former prime minister Shahbaz Sharif as Punjab chief minister had allocated funds of Rs200 million for the establishment of a model cemetery in Rak Dhamial in the budget of the fiscal year 2017-18, the construction work was not completed for a long time, resulting in the lapse of funds.

The acquisition of a grave had become such a serious problem in the City and Cantt areas that whenever a death occurred in a house, the funeral was not announced until the grave was arranged. Old and dilapidated graves in the old cemeteries were demolished to make way for new graves which would be provided at a cost of Rs20,000 to Rs30,000.

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With the completion of the long-standing project of Rakh Dhamiyal graveyard, 500 kanals of land have been allocated to the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, 200 kanals to the Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonments and 100 kanals have been allocated for the Christians. Meanwhile, another 200 kanals of land have been earmarked for pathways, funeral places, mortuary, administration offices and open space in the cemetery.