The ongoing dispute over crematorium land in Naqueri-Betul remains unresolved, with tensions deepening between the villagers and the local panchayat. Despite Sarpanch Preetam Devlikar expressing a willingness to engage in dialogue, villagers have firmly decided to exclude the panchayat from any further involvement and plan to take the issue directly to the Centre.
Speaking to Herald, Devlikar stated that the crematorium’s planning and inauguration were conducted properly and with the presence of villagers. “No objections were raised during the inauguration,” she said. However, she added that hostility emerged later, prompting her to file a police complaint after allegedly being threatened with social exclusion.
“I am open to hearing the villagers' concerns,” the sarpanch maintained. Still, residents remain unmoved, citing past inaction by both the panchayat and the local MLA when their concerns were first raised. They allege that their appeals were dismissed and that officials “raised their hands” in refusal to intervene.
Feeling ignored and increasingly frustrated, villagers now plan to escalate the matter to central authorities, seeking intervention beyond the local governance structure.