A site visit at the Bois Marchand Cemetery, in Terre Rouge, was carried out, today, by the Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Local Government and Disaster Risk Management, Dr Mohammad Anwar Husnoo. The aim was to take stock of ongoing infrastructure works being effected to improve facilities in the cemetery in the context of the Shab-E-Baraat festival which will be celebrated mid-March in 2022.
The Vice-Prime Minister was accompanied by the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr Sharvanand Ramkaun, and other personalities. Shab-E-Baraat is a pious occasion for the Muslim community around the world. On this day, people of the Muslim faith visit mosques and pray on behalf of their loved ones by going to their graves.
In a statement, Dr Husnoo recalled that the site visit follows up on the first Ministerial meeting of the Task Force for the celebrations of the festivals of Shab-E-Baraat and Ramadan 2022 and which was chaired by the Prime Minister last week.
He emphasised that infrastructure works have been ongoing for the past five/six years to gradually and constantly enhance services and facilities in cemeteries each year. However, over and above these works the objective is also to ensure the cleanliness of cemeteries and to see to it that these sites are well maintained, he stated. He reassured me that other site visits will be carried out in the future.
In addition, Vice-Prime Minister Husnoo indicated that he has been on site since yesterday in cemeteries located in the South of Mauritius namely in Grand-Port and Savanne to oversee how infrastructure can be enhanced in terms of electricity and water supply and road asphalting. Today, he pointed out, site visits are scheduled in the North region of the country namely in Rivière du Rempart and tomorrow in Flacq and Moka.
For his part, the PPS, Mr Ramkaun, highlighted that efforts have been coordinated to make facilities available and the local authorities have been informed accordingly to improve cleanliness across cemeteries. It is our duty to ensure that the spaces of cemeteries are well utilised and are well maintained, he added.
During the day, the personalities will be carrying out site visits at the following cemeteries: Pamplemousses, Grande Rosalie, Plaine des Papayes, Cap Malheureux, Belmont, Pointe des Lascars, Amaury and Piton.
