In Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur district, no roads for the living, no land for the dead!
1.05 hectares of land reserved in records, yet corpses lie on pond embankments — Government schemes buried in files in Kurra village.
In Kurra Gram Panchayat under the Abhanpur Assembly constituency and Raipur Lok Sabha constituency, human beings are not even getting dignity after death.
Khasra number 750 has 1.0500 hectares of land reserved for a cremation ground and graveyard — revenue records state this, but on the ground, there is neither a boundary wall, nor a road, nor any basic amenities.
The Biggest Scams / Lapses —
₹129.06 lakh road stuck in files for a year: A proposal for a 1 km paved road from Amrit Sarovar to the Muktidham (cremation ground) has been gathering dust on the table of the Chief Engineer, Chief Rural Road Scheme, Raipur, for a year. Administrative approval is pending.
Boundary wall funds lapsed: Direct allegation by villagers — funds had arrived for the Muktidham boundary wall, but due to the negligence of the panchayat/department, the work was not completed on time, and the entire amount was sent back. Who is responsible? Why is there no inquiry?
Suspicion of farming on reserved land: When 1.05 hectares of land is reserved for a cremation ground, why hasn't demarcation been done to date? Could farming be taking place on that land? What is the revenue department doing?
A Vigilant Panch's Voice Also Ignored:
Panch Shri Bhupesh Kumar Sahu has been raising this entire issue for the past year. Applications in 'Sushasan Tihar' (Good Governance Festival), demand letters at the Janpad Panchayat, resolutions in the Gram Sabha — he pleaded everywhere, but the file failed to move forward.
Panch Bhupesh Sahu said — "This is not a battle just for me. Today, the people of my village are burying their loved ones on the pond embankment. Basic facilities to reach the Muktidham/graveyard are completely missing. This is a violation of human rights. The government must answer where the 1.05 hectares of land is and why the 129-lakh road is stuck."
Now, Questions for the Government:
When the land is in the records, why hasn't demarcation been done?
When the road proposal was submitted, why has approval been pending for a year?
Due to whose negligence did the boundary wall funds lapse?
In a capital district like Raipur, will people have to resort to RTI and protests even to get dignity after death?
Villagers have issued a warning — if action is not taken on the demarcation and road approval in the coming days, the villagers will gherao (surround/protest at) the Collector's office.