Murshidabad: Hard time for bereaved as crematorium refuse to accept old notes
The Khagra and Gora Bazar funeral grounds under Baharampur Municipality in Murshidabad district barred four bereaved families from cremating their deceased after they failed to provide new currency notes.
In Short
- Demonetisation of high value currency notes affects functioning of funeral grounds.
- Khagra, Gora Bazar funeral grounds bar four families from cremating deceased.
- Families stopped from entering burning ghat as they failed to bring new notes.
Demonetisation of high value currency notes have widely affected the functioning of funeral grounds in parts of West Bengal. In Murshidabad, some families were even stopped from performing the last rites of their relatives when they failed to produce new currency notes.
Khagra and Gora Bazar funeral grounds under Baharampur Municipality in Murshidabad district barred four bereaved families from cremating their deceased after they failed to provide new currency notes.
Despite the central government extending the dates of acceptance of the high denomination currency till November 14 midnight, the workers at the funeral ground allegedly insisted on accepting only hundred rupee notes.
According to the bereaved families, they were stopped from entering the burning ghat as they failed to bring new currency notes of 500 and 2000 each.
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"When we came to cremate the body, they denied accepting the old 500 and 1000 rupee notes. We are common people, where would we go for the change," asked Keshab Chandra Mandal, relative of one of the deceased.
"When I arrived here this morning, I was told that the higher authorities have instructed not to accept old currency notes," said Achinta Mondal, one of the municipal staff posted at the crematorium.
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Helpless and devastated, these families had to somehow arrange 100 rupee notes from their relatives in order to finally cremate the deceased. Following this incident, local Congress MP and state party chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury lamented the incident and promised stern action.
"Government has kept emergency services like these out of its purview. Thus the funeral grounds under the municipalities are bound to accept old notes. I have come to know about the incident and we shall take required measures against such situation," said Chowdhury.
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