Villagers from Takli Budruk in Naigaon taluka took an unprecedented step by placing a dead body at the door of the tehsil office to protest the encroachment on their cremation ground.
This drastic measure highlighted the frustration of the villagers, who had been demanding the allocation of the designated cremation ground for many days. The revenue administration was thrown into disarray by this unexpected action.
Tehsildar Dhammapriya Gaikwad, along with police officers, promptly visited the village and surveyed the disputed land. By afternoon, the land was made available, and the last rites of Laxman Manik Reddy (70) were performed at 4 PM in the designated cremation ground.
The land in question, plot number 133, is recorded as a cremation ground for the Matang community but had been encroached upon by local farmers.
Despite persistent requests and follow-ups by villagers, bureaucratic delays at the tehsil and land records offices had prevented the resolution of the issue.
The death of Laxman Manik Reddy early on Friday morning brought the matter to a head. Villagers, led by Ganpati Reddy and Rajendra Reddy, brought the deceased to the tehsil office, demanding immediate action.
The Tehsildar, upon receiving the news, rushed to the scene and assured the villagers of a prompt resolution. The body was then transported to Takli Bu., where the Tehsildar and officials conducted a survey and allocated the necessary land for the cremation.
The coordinated efforts of the Tehsildar, Assistant Police Inspector Shridhar Jagtap, land records officers, and local leaders resolved the long-standing issue.
The Bombay Village Panchayats Act, 1958, mandates the provision and maintenance of cremation grounds, but many village panchayats fail to fulfill this responsibility, leading to such disputes.
