Maharashtra Villages Without Cremation Grounds To Lose Development Funds

Nanded: Taking serious note of the shortage of cremation grounds in rural areas, the Maharashtra government has taken a major decision. The Rural Development Department has decided to strictly implement the 'Gaon Tithe Smashan Bhumi' (Cremation Ground in Every Village) campaign.

According to a new Government Resolution (GR), villages without a cremation ground or a funeral shed will not receive administrative approval for any other development works. Development funds will also be withheld until work on the crematorium begins.

In many villages across the state, people are still forced to perform last rites in open spaces, exposed to rain, heat and other harsh weather conditions. During the monsoon, grieving families often struggle to conduct funerals amid mud and rain, using plastic sheets to protect the funeral pyre.

To address this, the Rural Development Department has directed all Zilla Parishads and local authorities to give top priority to the construction of cremation grounds, funeral sheds and other basic facilities.

The government has stated that every citizen deserves a dignified funeral and that no village should be deprived of this essential public facility.

Under the new policy, approval for roads, buildings, water supply schemes and other development projects will not be granted in villages that lack a crematorium. Likewise, no additional development funds will be released until work on the cremation ground has commenced.

The move aims to ensure that every village in Maharashtra has a proper cremation facility and that every citizen is accorded a dignified final farewell.