Corporators’ letters for burial passes won’t be entertained

Pimpri: The Pimpri-Chi-nchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has issued an order banning the acceptance of letters issued by municipal corporators for giving cremation or burial passes for performing final rites of the senior citizens.

An order issued by Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar recently stated that the recommendation letters issued by the corporators should not be accepted by the civic body staff for giving cremation passes. 

The municipal commissioner’s order has pointed out that the facility of issuing cremation or burial passes is available at the municipal corporation hospitals in the city round the clock.

It was found that recommendation letters issued by corporators certifying natural deaths of senior citizens were accepted by the civic administration employees for issuing cremation passes for final rites. This raised serious concerns as the pass permitted final rites even in case of unnatural deaths.

There is no legal provision to accept letters issued by corporators for issuing cremation passes. 

This practice of acceptance of letters has continued, though illegal, on the ground of helping the kin of the senior citizens.

However, PCMC Standing Committee Chairman Vilas Madigeri has said that the ban on the recommendation letters by corporators will cause hardships to people. Vilas Madigeri has suggested that the civic administration should appoint a three-member doctors’ committee for issuing the certificate in the case of natural deaths.