RTI: Sridevi’s state funeral ordered by the CM of Maharashtra

Late veteran actress Sridevi was accorded full state honours as the nation watched her final journey. However, this sparked controversy that led to massive debates on social media questioning the measure. An RTI activist Anil Galgali had sought to know as to who had the power to authorise the state funeral for Sridevi and past recipients of it. He sought this information from the General Administration Department’s Protocol Department, which comes under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

In its response, the department informed that the discretionary powers to grant a funeral with full state honours are vested with the Chief Minister and it is not related with the conferment of any national honours or Padma honours on the deceased personality. (Also Read: New York Indian Film Festival to honour Sridevi and Shashi Kapoor)

Image Source - India.com

The activist Galgali said quoting the RTI reply, “With regards to the full state honours for the late Amma Yangar Ayyappan, known as the famed actress Sridevi, verbal ordered were received from the CMO on February 25, 2018 and conveyed to the Mumbai Suburban District Collector and Mumbai Police Commissioner the following day to do the needful.”

Further, when asked the reasons for filing the RTI query, the activist had to say that it was to clear the confusion created on who is entitled to a state funeral and who is authorised to permit it.

“Among the speculation was that state funeral can be accorded to a person who is conferred with a National award or a Padma honour, but now a new information has come to light that it actually falls within the CM’s discretion,” Galgali said.

Image Source - Yogen Shah

Besides Sridevi, there are 40 other eminent personalities that were given a funeral with full state honours between June 22, 2012-March 26, 2018, according to the RTI reply which includes late Chief Ministers and Union Ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and A.R. Antulay, Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and others.

Inputs from IANS

Amod Pandit

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