Revoking its earlier decision, state-run Gujarat Gas Limited (GGL) will continue to cover the cost of supplying piped natural gas (PNG) to 60 crematoriums across the state through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, official sources said.
The company’s top officials took a decision to this effect in a meeting held on Tuesday.
One of the officials who took part in the meeting said on the condition of anonymity: “The issue was discussed during a high-power committee meeting held today. It was decided that no charges will be collected from cremation homes. The sixty cremation homes across the state will be informed about the same by the company through letters on Wednesday.”
A few months ago, GGL had written to the crematorium houses stating that starting 2026-27, they would need to start paying for their gas usage as it was reducing its contribution, albeit in a phased manner.
As per the letter, the crematoriums must clear 25 per cent of their overall usage cost (the remaining amount would be covered by Socio Economical Transformation & Upliftment Society (SETU), the firm’s CSR arm, in the current fiscal. While the share would be 50-50 in 2027-28, the crematoriums’ contribution would go up by 75 per cent and 100 per cent in the subsequent financial years, the letter stated.
The letter added: “The customers (crematoriums) are requested to kindly make the necessary financial and administrative arrangements to ensure timely settlement of their share of PNG consumption charges in accordance with the above schedule.”
A sales agreement dated January 7, 1999, executed between GGL and the crematorium trusts states that the cost of the PNG supplied to the crematoriums will be covered under the CSR contribution by SETU.
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After the recent letter, the crematoriums wrote to GGL urging it not to impose the charges.
Surat has four crematoriums that use PNG: Kurukshetra Cremation Home in the Jehangirpura area, Ramnath Ghela Cremation Home in Umra, Ashwani Kumar Cremation Home at Varachha, and Muktidham Cremation Home in Limbayat, all of which handle daily cremations and return ashes to the families.
According to sources, Kurukshetra has 11 wooden and 10 gas pyres; Ramnath Ghela has eight wooden and five gas pyres; Muktidham has four gas pyres and three wooden pyres; and the one at Varachha has 10 gas and seven wooden pyres.
Kamlesh Sailor, a trustee at Kurukshetra Cremation Home, said: “The operation and maintenance are funded through different grants from Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). We charge Rs 2,000 for bodies cremated through wooden logs. We don’t charge for bodies cremated through gas chambers. But we found out that a cremation done through a gas chamber costs us Rs 1,300, which is taken care of by the CSR arm of the company.”
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“The amount received through donations or grants from SMC is used in the cleaning and maintenance of the crematorium. SMC bears 50 per cent of the charges for cleaning, power, and civil electrical maintenance, while we take care of the rest. This decision was taken by SMC on September 7, 2021,” he added.
He, however, was unaware of GGL’s committee meeting on Tuesday.
As per its figures, the Jehangirpura facility in Surat cremated 3,688 bodies last year, for which it used 15,247 units or Rs 9.55 lakh worth PNG. Including maintenance, it spent Rs 4,631 per cremation, the data showed.
