Mumbai, July 8 -- In a move aimed at ending the "inhumane" ordeal faced by villagers during the final rites of their loved ones, the Maharashtra government has declared that no development funds will be released to villages that lack an approved cremation or burial ground.
The state government has made it mandatory for villages to have functional crematoriums to qualify for state-funded development schemes.
Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore, speaking during the monsoon session of the State Legislative Assembly, declared that no funds under the District Planning Committee (DPC), MLA local area development funds, or the 25-15 scheme will be released to any village that fails to produce a certificate confirming the availability of a p...