Staff Reporter
Panaji
The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) has directed the South Goa collector, the panchayats director and the range forest officer to hand over land to the Bhati village panchayat in Sanguem taluka and ensure the construction of a crematorium within 60 days.
The order was issued following a complaint filed by Bhati resident Ketan Dessai, who flagged the absence of a cremation facility in the village despite a panchayat resolution passed on January 15, 2021.
The land identified for the crematorium, measuring 1,500 square metres at Congarem-Bhati, is under the forest department, which had not granted
access.
The proposal was forwarded to the revenue department in 2021, but no action was taken.
The GHRC inquiry found that the South Goa collector, the director of panchayats, the range forest officer, and the village panchayat secretary either failed to respond or delayed their replies to commission notices.
The GHRC stated that the delay violated the basic rights of villagers and upheld the complainant’s contention that the panchayat resolution must be acted upon.
GHRC acting chairperson Desmond D’Costa and member Pramod V Kamat directed that all steps be taken to facilitate the crematorium and asked the officials to submit a status report on action taken or proposed by June 16 under the Human Rights Protection Act, 1993.
