The Left Front-run Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) board came under fire from the opposition Trinamul Congress (TMC), the Congress and the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) on Monday for hiking the charges for burning the dead at the municipal burning ghats and the electric crematorium.

The opposition to the move from councillors of the three parties compelled the board to take back its decision to hike the fee from Rs 350 to Rs 500 until the next SMC board meeting. Leader of the Opposition at the SMC and TMC councilor, Ranjan Sarkar, alleged that the hike would be an additional burden on the families of the deceased persons.

“Instead of the hike, which is an extra burden especially on the poor families, the board should improve the infrastructure there. The furnace at the electric crematorium is not working most of the time. The SMC must first work on this and then think about the hike. There are long queues of people waiting to cremate their loved ones.

Moreover, the place there has become a haven for antisocials,” he said. Taking a jibe at Mr Sarkar over his comment, Siliguri mayor Asok Bhattacharya said the hike was planned by taking into account the mounting expenses of the SMC. “We have plans to develop the crematorium and we have given Rs 1.5 crore for its development.

The hike was to meet the expenses of the SMC,” said Mr Bhattacharya. “We will place the proposal again before the board in the next board meeting for discussion,” he added. On the other hand, the monthly board meeting of the SMC on Monday agreed on the retirement and recruitment procedures of dailyrated workers.

“A daily-rated worker who has completed 10 years or more of service and has attained the age of 60, will retire. In such cases, a dependent of the worker’s family who has the capability to work, will provisionally replace the retired worker on a ‘no-work-nopay’ basis. Similarly, in case of death of a daily-rated worker before the attainment of 60 years, and who has completed 10 years or more of service, a dependent of the said deceased worker will be provisionally be replaced on the same basis,” Mr Bhattacharya ssaid. Meanwhile, the SMC will organize a dengue awareness rally on 17 February. A rally on awareness on plastic carry bags will also be held soon, SMC authorities said.