WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT!
BMC decides to supply wood to crematoriums – at twice the rate, through their own appointed contractors. However, baffled crematorium directors wonder why the BMC contractors are charging double, and insist not a twig has been supplied thus far ……..AKELA
Even wood for the dead doesn’t seem to have escaped the BMC’s characteristic ‘pay more than the market rate’ policy.
For, as per a recent circular, the corporation, inexplicably, is paying almost double the rate to their own contractors for wood to cremate the city’s dead. However, those who operate the crematoriums insist that the BMC-appointed contractors are yet to start supplying them the wood.
The BMC recently sent a circular to all private crematorium owners, ordering them to stop buying wood from private suppliers. Instead, the circular said, the BMC’s contractors would henceforth supply wood to them.
But, even a month later, there is no sign of the BMC’s contractors, and crematorium operators insist no wood has been supplied to them from BMC since July 1.
Furthermore, what crematorium directors find baffling is that, as per the BMC’s circular, the price of wood has increased to double the market rate. They are shocked to find the BMC circular puts the rate of wood to be supplied by BMC contractors at Rs 4.45 per kg, even though the open market rate is Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 per kg, which is what they were paying till recently.
“We cannot understand BMC’s order. First they tell us to buy wood only through their contractors. But their contractors haven’t supplied a single piece of wood to us. Then, the BMC circular says that the wood will cost double the rate,” said K N Dubey, director of Mulund Nagrik Sabha cremation grounds.
However, it is not the crematorium operators who are burdened with the extra cost. Last year, on July 24, the BMC had passed an order saying that expenses incurred for all cremations in the city would be borne by BMC. A single body requires 300 to 400 kgs of wood for cremation, which works out to about Rs 900.
Accordingly, the BMC has been footing the bill.
Generally, three to four bodies are cremated daily at each crematorium. There are 38 crematoriums in the city under BMC, and 39 private ones. Each crematorium buys 600 to 800 tonnes of wood a year from private suppliers, spending Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 lakh a year. All these expenses, so far, were reimbursed by the BMC.
Now, however, on June 5, 2009, the BMC sent a circular to private crematoriums, ordering them not buy wood from private contractors anymore. Instead, the wood would be supplied only through 51 contractors appointed by the BMC.
But, as pointed out by crematorium operators, no BMC contractor has supplied any wood so far. Moreover, some crematorium operators wonder why the BMC is insisting on the wood being supplied only through their own appointed contractors and that too at twice the rate.
Jairaj Thanekar, BMC’s executive health officer, said, “I have already sent the circular to all ward officers. Now they are responsible, ask them.”
On the other hand, Sunil Dhamne, officer of A ward, said, “I am not concerned with the issue. Ask the BMC executive health officer.”
Said Manik Khirsagar, ward officer, T ward, “The wood is being supplied and there is no problem. If anyone has a problem, send them to me. I will look into the matter. But I have no idea about the rate. Let me check.”