RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has decided to acquire military land measuring 2.81 acres near Racecourse Ground for a graveyard as the existing ones are running out of space.

A senior RCB official told Dawn that the board had been receiving complaints from the civilian residents about shortage of space in existing graveyards.

He said the Army Graveyard near Racecourse Park offered land only to members of the army as the space for civilian population had come to an end last year.

He said residents contacted the RCB and Station Headquarters for establishment of new graveyard.

The senior official said the Punjab government had yet to respond to a letter of the Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards seeking land in Rakh Dhamial graveyard.

Earlier, the RCB had planned to construct an abattoir near Army Graveyard but dropped the idea on the resentment of residents.

For the fiscal year 2017-18, the RCB allocated Rs20 million for the construction of the abattoir in the cantonment areas to stop illegal slaughtering of animals in streets and open places.

However, a senior official said the RCB’s land measuring four kanals and military land measuring 2.81 acres would be utilised for the graveyard, funeral place and management offices.

When contacted, RCB spokesman Qaisar Mehmood said the board had approved the proposal to get military land for civilian graveyard.

He said no-objection certificate from Military Estate Office for the reclassification of the land was mandatory as the purpose of the land would be changed.

He said after RCB board’s approval, the civic body had formally applied for an NoC which is likely to be received within a week. He said military authorities made it clear that they had no objection in this regard.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2018