Gravediggers bent on duping innocent masses

Karachi, The gravediggers continue to charge self-defined rates for burial of corpses at the Essa Nagri Graveyard on Sir Shah Suleman Road, house to thousands of graves, PPI has learnt.

The majority of the heirs bringing the stiff of their loved ones to the cemetery usually given the burial space at a low-lying location, giving them no alternative choice for having desired place if they fail to give money asked by the grave-excavators. Gravediggers usually dont inform every heir of the burial spaces available near to the entrance gate and fend off telling the truth in first attempt. However, as heirs offer to pay huge amount for the desired place, the gravediggers instantly locate them a suitable place. The Essa Nagri graveyard having hundreds of thousands of graves was officially closed some months ago, however, the cemetery undertakers managed to open it again. A few empty spaces were seen amid graves during a visit. When asked about it, gravediggers stonewalled the query.

The charges for burial in low-lying area the cemetery is around Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 while those who insist to get their nearest and dearest interred amid graves near distances away from the entrance have to pay Rs20,000 and so. These prices are adjusted by the gravediggers. While the majority of the cemeteries in city are crammed with graves, however, the exercise to bury new corpse on an old grave, when heirs concerned stop visiting that grave, is on rampant and gravediggers seem acquitted of the law when carrying out such an illegal practice. Additional District Officer (ADO) Cemeteries CDGK, when contacted, said he wont come to know such problems if people avoid reporting it. If heirs are told to pay any amount beyond Rs3,000 for a grave, they should call us immediately. We will take stern action against such gravediggers. The rate fixed by City Government is Rs 2,000 and 2,500 for small and large graves, respectively.! This am ount includes Rs300 for the gravediggers for digging charges, he mentioned.

People usually qre not in a state to beat down rates of graves when they get into a cemetery for the burial of their loved ones. However, they should know the rates of graves before giving massive amount to gravediggers. If grave excavators attempting to the make the most of such heartrending situations, they will face stern action in return, warned ADO. He said several actions had been taken so far action against the gravediggers against whom we got complaints. According to a survey, 192 cemeteries are in a city falls under the CDGK. Alam clarified that there was no provision of law that entertains anybody to reserve any plot in the cemetery. It is completely prohibited. When asked people have bought some plots in different cemeteries of the city, he said action would be taken if it surfaces during surprise visits. He urged people to enquire about all such problems beforehand to the concerned CDGK department before being fallen prey to any conman.