MLA Sujit Bose inaugurates the services of the hearse in FD Block. Picture by Saradindu Chaudhury

FD Block Association launched a hearse that will be available to residents 24 hours a day. The inauguration took place on April 21 at the hands of MLA Sujit Bose.

The hearse cost around Rs 4,00,000 and was sponsored by the block’s puja committee. FD Block Sarbojanin Puja Committee 2011 paid for it with money set aside from last year’s surplus and handed it over to the block committee.

Block president Hiranmoy Roychowdhury said Salt Lake was an old age home and that a hearse was very crucial. “We want the departed to leave their homes with dignity. In the absence of hearses bodies are transported in vans that otherwise supply vegetables or fish. That is disrespectful.”

The white hearse is a modified Mahindra Maxximo with a beacon on top. The block now plans to air- condition it and two senior ladies, Rama Mitra and Renu Banik, have footed the AC bill from their personal savings. “I paid Rs 5,001 in memory of my late husband N.C. Banik,” said the 70-year-old Renu Banik.

The block’s acting secretary Pradip Som said between November and February, there had been 29 deaths in FD Block. “This shows how much a hearse is needed,” he said. “FD Block is best known for its puja but we are committed to some social service too,” added secretary of the block’s puja Susanta Gupta.

MLA Bose informed that FD Block’s hearse is the third in the township, after one in AE Part I and another at the municipality. Also present was councillor of Ward 12 Asesh Mukherjee. After the death of local councillor Gita Biswas in 2011, Mukherjee has been helping out with matters of the ward.

The event ended with a performance by Bangla band Dohar.