GHRC directs Corlim p’yat to provide land for crematorium and burial for all

PANJIM: The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) has recommended the Corlim village panchayat to ensure that cremation grounds and burial grounds are made available to the persons of all faiths of the panchayat area so that the basic human rights of all persons are protected.

While hearing a complaint filed by residents of Muslim community from Corlim, Tiswadi, the Commission said that a copy of the inquiry report will be sent to the Corlim village panchayat calling for its comments including the action taken or proposed to be taken within a period of 60 days or on or before January 9, 2023, to ensure that cremation and burial grounds are made available to the persons of all faiths, in the area of the Corlim village panchayat, in terms of Section 18 (e) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.

The complaint was filed by some of the residents of the Muslim community of Corlim village on July 8, 2021 before the Corlim village panchayat and a copy was forwarded to the GHRC. In the complaint they had stated that there is no separate burial ground/kabrastan for their community.

The village panchayat in its reply stated that it had requested the Director of Panchayats by a letter dated October 14, 2021, that since the panchayat does not have any land, the government should earmark the land for burial ground, crematorium, cemetery, through the Town and Planning (TCP) Department and acquire the land and hand it over to the village panchayat, on priority basis.

The Commission agreed with Adv S Bodke for the complainants that the right to a decent burial of a deceased is a part of the right to human dignity.

The North Goa Collector by a letter dated July 8, 2022, informed the complainants that the officers of the Deputy Collector (Revenue), North Goa, conducted inquiry into the matter and the Tiswadi Mamlatdar had reported that there are no government lands which are freehold land available within the jurisdiction of Village Panchayat of Old Goa, Cumbharjua and Carambolim.

But, the Corlim Talathi reported that there exists government land under survey number 57/1 of Corlim village and the same is earmarked by the panchayat for proposed MRF plant and cattle pound. He further informed the complainants to identify some alternate government land under the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968.