A private party will be engaged in the sale of wood at the three crematoriums in the city, Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) decided at its standing committee meeting on Tuesday.

Officials in the civic body said the agency selected for the work will have to sell wood at Gulmi Ghat, Bans Ghat and Khajekala Ghat at a fixed price. Now, wood pieces are sold for anything between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000 for one body.

PMC commissioner Abhishek Singh said a tender aimed at selecting an agency will be floated soon. "Those who lose their family and friends already have had enough. If they are troubled for petty issues at the local crematoriums, it cannot be tolerated," he said. "We have received complaints from residents about wood being sold at whimsical rates. This is why we have come up with this plan."

Residents hailed the move but said more efforts were needed for the dead to have a dignified funeral. "It would be good if the authorities ensure there is uninterrupted power supply at the electric crematorium at Bans Ghat," said Kankerbagh resident Jagdeo Prasad.

Decisions on cleaning nine underground drains with the help of a private agency, and collecting holding tax from the three new wards in Patliputra and Digha-Mainpura road was also taken at Tuesday's standing committee meeting.