HC Grants More Time to Meghalaya Government to Update on Crematorium and Burial Ground Progress

The Meghalaya High Court has directed the state government to furnish additional details on the verification of crematorium sites and the measures being taken regarding burial grounds across the state.

The directive came during the hearing of the Re-Seng Khasi Hima Crematorium vs State of Meghalaya case before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W. Diengdoh.

The court reviewed an Action Taken Report (ATR) submitted through an affidavit by Additional Advocate General H. Kharmih in compliance with its September 14 order. The report informed the court that verification work had been undertaken for 60 crematorium sites, with some locations already identified while verification of others remains in progress. The government stated that financial assistance would be released after the completion of the required formalities.

However, the Amicus Curiae informed the court that the report did not specify any timeline for completing the verification process. He also pointed out that the report made no mention of burial grounds, despite the court having directed that they be considered as part of the exercise.

Following a request by the Additional Advocate General for additional time to place the necessary information on record, the Bench granted the extension and scheduled the matter for further hearing on October 16.

The case relates to the identification, verification and development of cremation and burial facilities across Meghalaya, with the High Court closely monitoring the progress of the state’s compliance with its earlier directives.