Grave concerns: ‘Only one graveyard for more than 20 colonies’

Protesters demand allocation of site for more graveyards.

FAISALABAD:

Some 100 elderly people gathered outside the City District Government Secretariat on Monday to protest against the government for non-allotment of site for a graveyard in more than 20 housing societies.

The protesters said there was only one graveyard for these societies.

They started their march from Jhang Road and walked all the way to Zila Council Chowk.

They accused the Faisalabad Development Authority of their negligence in this regard.

Some of them accused the government of intentionally creating problems for the people of the area by depriving residents of Lateef Park, Hameed Park, Nusrat Colony, Khalid Colony and adjacent localities of separate graveyards.

Some of the protesters said that several government plots were lying vacant near their residential colonies.

They said the only graveyard is overpopulated and it is almost impossible now to find space for new graves. Muhammad Naved, in his 70s, said that the Revenue Department officials had to be bribed for every new grave in the cemetery.

“If the government does not act now to provide more land for graveyards, we will soon reach a situation where people will have to wait before they can bury their dead,” he said.

Sadiq, another protester, said he was worried about himself. He said his family did not have the money to bribe the greedy officials, as a new grave cannot be dug until recommendation from a high-rank officer was obtained, he added.

The demonstrators demanded immediate allotment of land for graveyards in their residential localities. Otherwise, they said they would be constrained to take ‘direct action’.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2012.