New Delhi, Sep 2 The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the stand of the MCD and DDA on a PIL seeking allotment of land for new Christian cemeteries and burial grounds here.
The PIL said there are five Christian cemeteries in the entire city, all of which are completely saturated and cannot take any more deceased for burial. A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia was informed that after the MCD forwarded the petitioner's request for allotment of more land to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the authority responded that the allotment of land to private entities was done by e-auction.
The court said that arrangement of burial land for the dead cannot be equated with any commercial activity.
It issued notice on the petition by the president of Legal Christians Action Committee All India, observing that arranging a space where Christians can perform the last rites for their dead was the MCD's primary function.
"Let a status report be filed by the MCD giving details of Christian cemeteries within its jurisdiction and the space available for this purpose. DDA shall also file a status report," the court said as it listed the matter for hearing in November.
The court was of the prima facie view that the DDA asking the petitioner to participate in an e-auction for allotment of land for a burial ground on lease "did not appeal" to it.
The petitioner was represented by advocates Abhinav Kumar, Nagmani Kumar, Akash Kumar and Anant Chittoriya.
The PIL by George Singh said that Christians in Delhi were facing an "acute crisis" due to the complete unavailability and shortage of adequate burial grounds for them.
It stated that the existing cemeteries are old and historic burial grounds, which are already at full capacity, leaving families to transport the mortal remains of their loved ones to neighbouring states.
The plea added that such an arrangement is financially unaffordable for most families, especially those from economically weaker sections.
The PIL asserted that the petitioner has been pursuing the issue with the DDA and the MCD but they have failed to take any concrete steps to identify, designate, or allot land for a Christian cemetery.
