ONGOLE: The Ongole Municipal Corporation (OMC) authorities took a decision to set up a Gas based crematorium here at Ongole-Vaikunta Maha Prasthanam burial ground near RTC Bus Complex with Rs 1.68 crore estimation. With the 14th finance commission funds, the OMC constructed a new building in burial ground and a gas crematorium chamber also established in it with all necessary machinery.
Almost 90 % of the construction was completed and even the authorities made plans to inaugurate the new facility. But the authorities didn’t pay the bills and the contractor of the Crematorium did not fix the gas cylinders. During the Covid-19 pandemic, OMC has started the Gas Crematorium construction in the Ongole Burial Grounds to facilitate pollution-free final rites.
Due to financial glitches, the project was moving at a snail’s pace and the proposed Gas Crematorium project was still 10 % backlogged and not yet operational. The Ongole Citizens Forum and other local leaders also appealed to the government to speed up the work.
“We have plans to take up all the proposed new development programs and semi-finished projects in a row of priority. The constructed project is also listed and after getting sufficient funds, we will bring it operational” M Venkateswara Rao, Municipal Commissioner, OMC explained.