Sasaram: The lack of basic facilities to transport bodies recovered from railway tracks has raised questions over the dignity accorded to the deceased. With no dedicated mortuary van or proper equipment, workers are often forced to carry stretchers for several kilometres to bring bodies to the police station or postmortem house.Bamboo poles and bedsheets are frequently used to carry bodies. The task becomes particularly difficult when bodies are found in multiple pieces after railway accidents. As accident sites are often far from accessible roads, workers may have to walk 10km to 15km to reach the spot and then carry the stretcher back.Dharmendra Kumar, GRP SHO, Sasaram, said the station manager provides funds to the GRP for transporting bodies recovered from railway tracks. “However, there is no dedicated mortuary van or proper transportation arrangement,” he added.The railways provides Rs 7,000 for transporting and performing the last rites of an unclaimed body. No such funds are provided for identified bodies, as the GRP’s immediate priority is to clear the track and take the body to the police station. Once the identity is established, the family takes responsibility for the last rites.Officials said the amount was inadequate. For a Hindu body, at least one quintal of firewood costing around Rs 2,000 or more is required for cremation, apart from the cost of a kafan and other rituals. For a Muslim deceased, digging a grave alone can cost around Rs 4,000.A senior GRP officer said the Rs 7,000 provided for an unclaimed body was inadequate and the GRP often had to bear additional expenses. More than three workers may be required to retrieve and transport a body with Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 often spent on labour charges alone.
