PANJIM: A new crematorium in Moula, Batim, was inaugurated at the hands of North Goa MP Shripad Naik and St Andre MLA Vishnu Wagh recently.
Speaking on the occasion, Naik said that in every term, he had set a goal to complete 300 public projects, and so far, he had completed 850 projects, including 68 crematoriums, by financing the same with his MP funds. He added that he was trying to complete 1,000 such projects before the end of his present tenure.
He also clarified that during his last three tenures, there was a financial crunch, but now the situation had improved, making it easier for him to accomplish his goal.
According to information, the new crematorium at Moula cost Rs 33.52 lakh. The old crematorium was barren land, save for thorny bushes. It was located at the bottom of a slope, and water-logging took place every monsoon. These factors made it difficult to perform rituals whenever there was a death.
It was Digambar Kavlekar, deputy sarpanch of Batim, who vowed to bring a full-fledged crematorium to the village, which has a population of over 1,000. It took him seven years to bargain with his landlord for land, and he finally acquired the same at a cost of Rs 10.95 lakh.
He then approached MP Naik to get the project sanctioned with MP funds. Naik quickly responded to his proposal; a foundation stone for the project was laid in August 2015, and the crematorium was completed on April 30.
MLA Vishnu Wagh appreciated the hard work, dedication and leadership qualities shown by Kavlekar.
