Mysuru: In a desperate bid to shore up its crumbling finances, the cash-strapped Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has decided to impose a Rs. 500 cremation fee, a move that has triggered widespread outrage, with citizens accusing the civic body of “making money off the dead.”

A notification signed by MCC’s Senior Health Officer, who also oversees the Births and Deaths Registration Department, confirmed that all gas and electric crematoriums in Mysuru will now charge Rs. 500 per body.

Only Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe community members are exempt from this fee. Until now, cremation services were free of cost, provided as a public welfare measure.

The order affects crematoriums located at the Chamundi foothill (Harishchandra Ghat), Gokulam (Chirashantidhama), Vijayanagar 4th Stage (Muktidhama) and K.G. Koppal, all of which are State Government-owned. No charge has been levied on burials, raising further questions about fairness and uniformity in the policy.

Sources within MCC say the decision was driven by rising operational costs, especially electricity, used in gas and electric crematoriums. The charge has been implemented with immediate effect.

However, the decision has drawn flak, with residents pointing out that the MCC already collects a “cremation cess” along with property tax, water tax, trade licence fees and other charges, ostensibly to fund such basic services.

“There’s no justification. Even in death, we’re being taxed. This is an insult to the poor and the middle class,” said a grieving citizen.

Even more controversial is the absence of any mention of a State Government order in the MCC’s notification. Normally, civic directives based on the State orders cite reference numbers and dates. This order does not suggest it, but sources said that it might be a unilateral decision by the MCC.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, MCC Health Officer Dr. Venkatesh claimed the directive was issued as per the State Government instructions, but did not provide documentation to support this claim.

Even before the official charge, mourners were already being fleeced unofficially — with attendants, caretakers and brokers at the crematoriums demanding bribes ranging from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 4,000 for services that should have been free.

Locals say this unofficial fee structure has become institutionalised, with bribes distributed among crematorium staff and middlemen who stay in the premises round the clock.

In effect, say angry residents, the new fee is merely adding a legal charge to an already corrupt system, further burdening families at their most vulnerable and sorrowful moments.