Political fight erupts over donated crematorium furnace

Vadodara: One would believe that there might be no politics, at least over a gas cremation furnace that a businessman wanted to donate to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). The controversy revolves around the location of the furnace, intended for the Chhani crematorium on the city's outskirts.
The businessman approached Congress councillor Harish Patel from ward one. Harish approached the VMC administration with the proposal by the donor. The administration included the work in the agenda for the standing committee, and few expected that it would face hurdles.
However, on the day of the meeting itself, a letter was written by a representative of Kailashdham, which takes care of the crematorium, to the chairman of the standing committee. The letter objected to the furnace being installed at Chhani, stating that there was no space there. It wanted the furnace to be shifted to the Nizampura crematorium, which was closed.
Harish said that the letter was written at the behest of local BJP heavyweight and former standing committee chairman Satish Patel. Satish lost the polls from ward one, while Harish won there. It was the only ward where Congress won all four seats in the civic polls.
"This is a work for which there should be no politics. The donor is from Chhani, and it is obvious that he will want the furnace there. If there are problems with the Nizampura crematorium, they should be fixed. Chhani crematorium has no gas furnace, and this will be an addition there. The objection is only because the donor went through me as he knows me," Harish said.
Standing committee chairman Dr Sheetal Mistry said that the committee members received the letter. "There is no politics in this. Members felt that the furnace was needed more in Nizampura. We have decided to speak to the donor and convince him to donate the furnace for the Nizampura crematorium," Mistry said.