CUTTACK: What can be a more telling example of the apathy and inconsiderate conduct of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) than providing phone numbers of retired staff and unreachable persons as cremation helpline for hapless families who have lost their loved ones to Covid-19!
Unbelievable as it may seem, at a time when families and relatives are desperate for information and assistance for cremating their deceased, the CMC has given the number of a retired multi-purpose healthworker (MPHS) as the contact person. So much so, it has displayed the number on the signboard at the Sati Chaura crematorium, leaving people seeking help at god’s mercy.
The CMC facilitates cremation of people succumbing to the virus free of cost at the crematorium and has installed a signboard for the purpose. The signboard has mobile phone numbers of two MPHS. But getting connected to the numbers is a near impossible task.
The kin of a person who succumbed to the virus said while one of the mobile numbers remains busy or unreachable, the other is unresponsive. “If someone calls the numbers repeatedly and succeeds in talking to a person on the other end, he is informed that it is a wrong number. When told that the number has been issued by CMC, the receiver says the official concerned has retired,” he said. The two mobile numbers issued by the civic body are those of MPHS Kedar Mohanty (9438459144) and Pratap Mohanty (9937446523).
Another kin of a deceased questioned the civic body’s earnestness in addressing the problems of bereaved families in these tough times. “Instead of issuing mobile numbers of serving employees, why has CMC issued the numbers of its retired staff,” he wondered.
Kedar, who had retired from service on July 31 last year and was given an extension of six months till January 31 this year, said he is receiving numerous calls daily. “I tell the callers I have already retired and am in no position to assist them,” he said. City Health Officer in-charge of dead body disposal, Satyabrata Mohapatra said the contact number will be changed and replaced with an active staff’s number.