B`lore City Corporation takes PPP route to burial ground maintenance

B`lore City Corporation takes PPP route to burial ground maintenance
Rakesh Prakash / Chennai/ Bangalore April 2, 2008
With Bangalore choosing to take the public-private-partnership (PPP) route for burial ground-crematoria maintenance, funeral services in the city are expected to get more dignified in the coming days.

The Greater Bangalore City Corporation (GBCC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the city-based Vaikuntadhama Trust, a social service organisation to maintain the three burial grounds/crematoriums at Wilson Garden, Rajajinagar and Hebbal. This, perhaps, is the country’s first PPP model in the burial ground-crematoria category.

Speaking to Business Standard, GBCC Special Commissioner (Resources and Finance) Sandeep Dash said: “Maintenance of burial grounds has been an obligatory function of the corporation. But the sad part is that the burial grounds have not been well maintained in the city. Though the engineering department of the corporation has been entrusted with the burial ground maintenance, it has not been able to give adequate attention because of the various constraints.”

It was against this backdrop the GBCC contemplated outsourcing maintenance to private players. Dash continued: “We need to keep our exit routes clean. Just when we were working on strategies to improve facilities at burial grounds and crematoriums, the social service organisation approached us expressing willingness to take up maintenance. We found the PPP model viable for giving the dead the respect due to them.”

According to the MoU, while GBCC provides infrastructure, the private player operates and maintains it. GBCC’s Chief Accounts Officer Manjunath explained: “We will carry out all capital intensive works such as constructing compound walls and other concrete structures, the private player will chip in by regulating day-to-day activities like maintaining gardens and appointing security guards.”

The PPP will be a win-win situation for both GBCC and the private player. While the GBCC does not have to face public wrath for poor maintenance of burial grounds, the private player gets a chance to take its social interests to the next higher level.

On the cost-sharing model, Dash said: “While the GBCC will continue with its obligation of providing basic infrastructure, the private player will utilise funds sourced from donors.”

The PPP model is expected to give a facelift to the burial grounds and crematoriums, which in other words ensure a decent burial.

At present, there are over 100 burial grounds in the GBCC limits. But a majority of these face problems of various kinds —- while some face space shortage, others have problems like non-availability of water, misuse of the premises for criminal activities and lack of cleanliness.

People’s frustration against badly maintained burial grounds became evident when about 35 members of the Federation of Volunteers of Ganganagar walked into the burial ground in their area and removed the garbage sometime ago.

What spurred them into action was an untoward incident in which one of the members tripped on the garbage and fell while carrying the body of his friend’s father. Not wanting to wait for the GBCC to do the cleaning act, the residents vented out their anger by ridding the burial ground of rubbish.

Same is the case with crematoriums — the premises are not kept clean and tidy, no back-up for power failures and relatives of the deceased are forced to wait for hours.

“But the situation will change now,” said Manjunath. The private player has also been entrusted with the task of maintaining the three crematoriums. This apart, the GBCC has earmarked Rs 5 crore for the construction crematoriums in each of its new five zones. The GBCC also plans to extend the PPP model to maintenance of cultural centres and community halls owned by it.