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Dimapur, May 23 (EMN): The Dimapur Ao Youth Organisation (Dayo) on Sunday expressed shock at the ‘high cost of burial’ at the New Naga Cemetery managed by the Naga Council Dimapur (NCD).
Dayo in a press statement stated that “of late, there has been public murmuring and complaints of making burial an expensive profitable business at the cost of people’s misery while performing their last rites.”
“With the unfortunate increase in Covid fatality cases, it will be deemed more humane that at least a community based welfare organisation which is self sustaining should make free burial for Covid-19 deaths so also that the poorest of the poor should be exempted from paying any burial fees,” it read.
Dayo said that NCD was the ‘second oldest NGO in Nagaland and the most respected CSO in Dimapur’.
“Since its inception it has brought about Nagas unity and has been instrumental in maintaining cordial relationships with all non-Naga communities,” it read.
Dayo further appealed to the district administration to intervene and take appropriate action.
Moreover, Dayo has requested the state government to ‘make public the distribution of all available resources and also judiciously allocate the life saving machineries and tools based upon severity of case load and not necessarily state capital based as more often is the case’.
“We are fortunate that the State Government has already procured 400 jumbo (D type) and 800 B-type oxygen cylinders along with 150 oxygen concentrators received from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and with more to arrive in coming days adding to the already existing resources,” it read.
Dayo urged the government to be efficient, transparent and sincere in the governance and appealed all civil societies, public organsations and others “to continue as vigilant watch dogs over such activities where government properties disappears and becomes private properties in no time. “
Dayo has also questioned the five MLAs representing Dimapur district for remaining “silent during such unprecedented times.”
“The Dimapur district citizens expected our elected representatives to be our role model but unfortunately our leaders seem to shy away from their responsibilities. We appeal to our leaders to rescue the public they represent and lead by example once again,” it read.
Dayo has also acknowledged and appreciated the different Churches, community based organisations, civil organisations and individuals for the services rendered towards the fight against the pandemic.
Meanwhile, when Eastern Mirror contacted NCD vice-president Etsungmomo Kikon and queried about the cost of burial at the New Naga cemetery, it was informed that for complete ‘normal burial’ including cemetery charge, the fee was around INR 16,000.
This, he said, included digging the ground (3x6 feet wide, four feet deep) with brickwall and iron rod (10 mm), slap cutting and plastering up to ground level, which cost INR 10,000; for cemetery charge with name plate one-feet high above the ground level, the rate was INR 5000 while registration fee was INR 1000. Kikon informed that for burial of deaths due to Covid-19, they charged INR 4000, which was only the labour charge for digging the ground, and registration fee of INR 1000. This came into effect from May 22, 2021, he said.
The vice-president added that due to Covid protocol, other works such as plastering and adding name plate would be done at a later date once the restrictions are lifted.