ISLAMABAD: The city managers have decided to increase by 400pc the charges of different services, including issuance of birth and death certificates, and the burial fee.

Documents, which will be presented before the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) slated to hold a meeting on Monday, proposed a massive increase in various charges being collected by the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA). The MCI is empowered to approve or reject the new rates.

The documents available with Dawn showed that under the proposals made by a committee the DMA would charge Rs1,200 for the grave of an adult against the existing Rs300.

Committee also seeks alarming hike in birth and death certificate fee

An amount of Rs1,000 would be charged for the grave of a child (aged above two years) against the current Rs250 and Rs400 for the grave of a child under two years against the current Rs100.

The committee also proposed a massive increase in the coffin carrier’s charges.

If approved by the MCI, the relatives of a deceased would have to pay Rs30 per km against the current rate of Rs4.

Sources said more than 200pc increase had also been proposed in the birth and death registration fee. The documents proposed that Rs250 would be charged for birth/death registration against the existing Rs110.

Instead of the current Rs230, an amount of Rs500 would be charged for the issuance of a birth and death certificate if it is issued with one and five years.

And Rs1,000 would be charged if the registration of death and birth is made after five years. The current fee is Rs680.

The committee also proposed an increase in other charges such as car parking in Shakarparian and Daman-i-Koh. For bus/coaster in these spots Rs200 would be charged against the existing Rs100 while cars jeeps, taxis would pay Rs30 against the existing parking fee of Rs20.

The graveyard at H-11 is the main facility supervised by the DMA. However, sources said besides the government fee, gravediggers also charged relatives of the deceased persons for bricks etc.

“Officially or unofficially, people have to pay Rs10,000 per grave,” said a source in the DMA.

He said people were also being charged Rs250/Rs300 for a grave, Rs1,500 for stone slabs and Rs4 per km for transporting the body. If someone desires, gravediggers charge them against bricks used for the grave, he said, adding the official fee did not cover the cost of bricks.

Earlier, the H-8 graveyard was the main burial place but for the last many years the H-11 graveyard is being used for the urban populace.

Recently, the CDA earmarked 105 acres to set up four graveyards in rural areas.

When contacted, DMA Director Zafar Iqbal confirmed that an increase in the fee of graves, birth and death certificates had been proposed. He said a committee after holding several meetings made the proposals.

“The MCI is the final authority for approval of the proposals and will take it up at its upcoming meeting,” he said, adding the rates had not been revised for long.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2019