Though the planning authority has reserved a plot for the burial ground, the proposal failed to take off as a powerful Nationalist Congress Party leader has been allegedly opposing it as the plot is close to his bungalow.
The Muslim community in Nashik is upset over a proposed burial ground. Though the planning authority has reserved a plot for the burial ground, the proposal failed to take off as a powerful Nationalist Congress Party leader has been allegedly opposing it as the plot is close to his bungalow.
Though the authorities have reserved a 5,538 square meter plot for the burial ground four years ago, the proposal is yet at a nascent stage. The NCP leader is allegedly throwing his weight around to change the reservation of the plot from a burial ground to a garden as the plot is just 500 meter away from his sprawling residence.
It is believed that the leader has been pressurising the municipal corporation for not going ahead with the kabrastan proposal and instead change the reservation for a garden. The delay in putting the kabrastan functional has upset the Muslims in the
district.
They staged a protest against the municipal corporation by taking a couple dead bodies to the civic body office. Now, the issue has been taken up with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and minorities welfare minister Areef Naseem Khan.
Khan has directed the Nashik Municipal Corporation to initiate action and put the kabrastan in place, or else the plot will be handed over to a local trust asking it to start using the plot as kabrastan.
Cidco, the planning authority for the city, reserved the plot for the burial ground nearly 4 years ago. The Nashik Municipal Corporation was directed to take possession of the plot and begin work. The issue was discussed in a meeting held at the Mantralaya on Thursday. Leaders from the Muslim community alleged that the corporation had bowed to the pressure from the NCP leader. “I do not want to react to the allegation of political pressure, but the fact is we have directed the corporation to act upon the project in a month’s time. If the municipal corporation fails to follow the time limit, Cidco will hand it over to a trust for the management of the kabrastan. The CM has also taken the issue very seriously,” said Khan.
When contacted, Nashik mayor Nayana Gholap said, “The decision will be taken soon as we have appointed a committee to speed up the matter. Guardian minister Chhagan Bhujbal has opposed the original site as it is nearby his farm house, but we have suggested alternate sites at Pelecon Park and Gavhane Shivar. We are confident the way out will be brought and the proposal will be approved in the general body.”
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