Qinchuwang(Shiyan Daily) Reporter Liujun Xiaoanhai
In order to further strengthen funeral management and promote funeral reform, the Shiyan Municipal Party Committee and the Shiyan Municipal People's Government recently issued the "Opinions on Further Advancing the Implementation of Funeral and Funeral Reform"(hereinafter referred to as "Opinions"). "Opinions" is the first comprehensive programmatic document that guides the city's funeral and burial reforms in the new period. It is of great practical significance to deepen the city's funeral and burial reforms and protect the ecology, conserve water and soil, gather resources, and improve the rural atmosphere. In order to fully understand the "Opinions" from all walks of life, promote the implementation of funeral reforms, and advocate the concept of nurturing thin burials, literary funerals, low-carbon rituals, and ecological burials, the reporter interviewed the director of the leading group office of the municipal funeral reform work and the director of the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau. Luxichang.
Reporter: in order to comprehensively promote the city's funeral reform, the municipal party committee and the municipal government established the leading group of funeral reform work with the party committee secretary as the first leader and the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee and mayor as the leader. The high degree of attention paid by the municipal party committee and the municipal government to the "opinions", the wide range of audiences involved in the "opinions", the reality of the Huimin policy, and the detailed reform measures are unprecedented. First of all, please introduce the background of the introduction of this "opinion" in our city.
Luxichang: The funeral and burial reform has a bearing on the vital interests of the people, natural resources, ecological and environmental protection, spiritual and spiritual development, and the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. The Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government issued the "Opinions", which is in line with the spirit of comprehensively deepening reform and the actual economic and social development of Shiyan. It is in line with public opinion and the voices of the masses. It is the general trend and the people's hearts. This opinion is based on the following three contexts.
First, the central, provincial and municipal governments have clear requirements for funeral and burial reform. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the reform of funeral and burial, and push forward the reform of funeral and burial as an important part of comprehensively deepening reform. Especially in recent years, the pace of national funeral and burial reform has accelerated. By the end of 2017, pilot projects for comprehensive funeral and burial reform nationwide had been launched in 80 regions(units). At the beginning of 2018, 16 ministries and commissions such as the Ministry of Civil Affairs jointly promulgated the Guiding Opinions on Further Promoting Funeral Reform and Promoting the Development of Funeral and Funeral Business; Recently, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and nine other ministries and commissions jointly launched a nationwide campaign to rectify outstanding problems in the field of funeral and burial. At the same time, the Ministry of Civil Affairs is publicly soliciting opinions on the "Funeral Management Regulations(Amendment Draft)". This is the first time in 21 years that the "Funeral Management Regulations" have been substantially revised. The follow-up will also have a series of policy measures in the field of funeral and burial. Follow up and implement. According to the relevant decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council on funeral and burial reform, the provincial, provincial, municipal, and municipal governments have also made corresponding arrangements for promoting the implementation of funeral and burial reforms. Therefore, the promulgation of the "Opinions" is an inevitable requirement for implementing the spirit of comprehensively deepening reform at the central, provincial and municipal levels and scientifically promoting funeral and burial reforms.Second, funeral and burial reform is the need of ecological civilization and spiritual civilization construction. In recent years, the Party Central Committee and the State Council have clarified the functional positioning of Shiyan as a national key ecological function area and a core water source area for the South-North Water Diversion Project. Shiyan has also actively launched the establishment of a national civilized city, a national environmental protection model city, and a national ecological civilization construction demonstration city. Funeral and funeral reform has more important significance for the city's political task of protecting ecology, conserving water and soil, intensive resources, improving the rural atmosphere, and completing a good library of clear water for sustainable North delivery. Therefore, the promulgation of the "Opinions" is a practical need to serve the overall situation of the work of the Party and the National Center and strengthen the construction of the ecological civilization and spiritual civilization in Shiyan.
Third, funeral reform is the expectation of the people. For a long time, due to various factors such as population distribution, topography and landforms, and traditional customs, the implementation of funeral and burial reforms in the city has been very difficult and slow. There are problems such as the low cremation rate in cremation areas, the prominent phenomenon of mass graves in burial areas, and the irregular practice of mourning rituals. In particular, with the expansion of the urban space layout and the construction of the traffic network, the more remote burial graves have also entered the areas along the railways, highways and highways, and a large number of "roadside graves" have emerged. There are even some tall tombs and luxury tombs that are relatively concentrated, which have seriously affected the city image and civilization of Shiyan. During the "two sessions" of the city in recent years, the standardization of funeral management and the promotion of funeral and burial reforms have been the focus of attention of the deputies of the National People's Congress and the CPPCC members 'proposals, as well as the topic of heated discussion among the people. Public opinion and the masses of the people have called for the promotion of Huimin, green and civilized funeral construction. Therefore, the promulgation of the "Opinions" is the general trend of the people, which is conducive to the overall improvement of public services for funerals and burials in our city. It is urgent and imperative to benefit the basic people's livelihood.
Reporter: All sectors of society are very concerned about this reform. Could you tell us what will be the focus of the Shiyan funeral and burial reform?
Luxichang: In order to better meet the needs of the people's funeral services and promote the healthy and orderly development of the city's funeral and burial business, the task of this reform work mainly starts from four aspects: reform, management, service, and security, including 11 reform measures: Expand the scope of cremation areas according to law; The area where tombs are prohibited shall be demarcated according to law; Overall planning and construction of urban and rural funeral facilities; Normalize the construction of ashes burial facilities in cremation areas; Promote the construction of rural public welfare cemeteries in burial areas; Promote the ecological burial of festivals; Strengthen the "three along five districts" scattered mass grave management; Implement Huimin funeral policy; Expand the supply of funeral services; Promote the change of customs in the field of funeral and burial; We will strengthen supervision over funeral and funeral law enforcement.
Reporter: from this we can see that the funeral reform is in the city as a whole, how will the city guarantee the equality of funeral public services to meet the needs of urban and rural residents?
Luxichang: According to the Views, the focus is on the following three areas. First, in terms of service function, the city will expand the cremation area according to law. The cremation area includes: Zhangwan District, Maojian District, Shiyan Economic and Technological Development Zone, and Wudang Mountain Tourism Special Economic Zone. Chengguan Town and surrounding townships in other counties and cities. The specific scope shall be determined by the people's governments of counties(cities and districts) and submitted for approval in accordance with the procedures. It is planned that by the end of June 2019, counties(cities, districts) will complete work related to the expansion of cremation areas. Cremation shall be carried out for all persons who die within the cremation area; If the cremation is not cremated, it will be investigated and dealt with according to law. Second, in the construction of supporting facilities, the focus of overall planning for the construction of urban and rural funeral and burial facilities. The Party committees and governments of counties(cities and districts) shall, in conjunction with actual conditions, formulate plans for the layout of funeral homes, cemeteries, ash halls, funeral service stations and other funeral facilities, promote the construction of cremation and supporting facilities in newly designated cremation areas, and speed up the construction of funeral facilities in urban and rural areas. Third, we need to standardize construction standards, promote the construction of public welfare cemeteries in cities and towns, and strictly control the construction of operational cemeteries. The construction scale of various types of ashes burial cemeteries in cities and towns shall be determined according to the 20-year period of use. The ashes tomb covers an area, and the single hole must not exceed 0.7 square meters, and the double hole must not exceed 1 square meter; The height of the tombstone(including the base) must not exceed 80 cm on the ground and the width must not exceed 60 cm; The tombstone color is always gray-black and must not be white. Not only that, in the style of cemetery construction, the city will also explore the implementation of three-dimensional burial methods in the form of buildings, corridors, halls, towers, walls, etc..
Journalist: At present, "cremation" as a civilized, environmentally friendly funeral method, has been more and more people accepted. So, for the burial area of the tomb form, through what measures to regulate?
Luxichang: mainly through the construction of rural public welfare cemeteries, to standardize the burial area tomb form and behavior. In accordance with the principle of "adhering to the centralization and cemetery of remains for burial", the people's governments at the county and township levels of the city shall make overall plans for the construction of rural public welfare cemeteries in their respective areas. In principle, administrative villages shall be used as units and 1 public welfare cemetery shall be set up in one village. In places with concentrated population, convenient transportation, and less land, it is advocated to build townships as units, ｏｒ to jointly build several adjacent administrative villages. According to the "Opinions", the area of a single rural public welfare cemetery must not exceed 10 acres, and the joint construction must not exceed 20 acres. The tomb(including the burial tomb) covers an area of not more than 4 square meters, the tombstone height(including the pedestal) must not exceed 80 cm on the ground, and the width must not exceed 60 cm. Not only that, our city will also build funeral service stations and other centralized funeral places, supporting the construction of fire protection, safety and other facilities. It is prohibited to rent and sell tombs and tombs of rural public welfare cemeteries to people other than local villagers in violation of regulations, and it is forbidden to restore ｏｒ build new clan cemeteries. It is forbidden to relocate ｏｒ destroy tombs ｏｒ rebuild them, and it is forbidden to build tombs for the living. By 2020, 100 % of the city's administrative villages have public cemetery.
Reporter: For mass graves and mass graves, tall tombs, luxury tombs and other phenomena, what measures will the city take to govern?
Luxichang: The management of mass graves and tombs such as tall tombs and luxury tombs is a long-term difficulty and "point of pain", and it is also the focus and key of this funeral and burial reform. Our city will carry out governance in accordance with the "combination of congestion and key governance" approach to ensure that the governance task is basically completed by the end of June 2019. First, we will demarcate areas where tombs are prohibited. Within the city, it is explicitly forbidden to bury remains, bury ashes, and build tombs in the "three along five districts." The "three along five areas" are: along the expressway and highway trunk lines, along the railway, along the river, water source protection areas, cultural relics protection areas, scenic spots, nature reserves, and concentrated residential areas. At the same time, we will speed up the construction of public welfare cemeteries in rural areas, guide centralized burial, and standardize funeral behavior. Second, we will strengthen the management of mass graves scattered along the three borders and five districts. From now on, the Party committees and governments of all counties(cities and districts) will be the main responsibility, in accordance with the requirements of "eliminating incremental increases, reducing stocks quickly, managing sales numbers, and completing deadlines". We will actively, prudently and effectively treat mass graves scattered along the three borders and five districts. The governance model is adapted to local conditions, scientific and effective, and promotes the smooth advancement of governance work. Third, strengthen supervision over funeral and funeral law enforcement. We will promote joint law enforcement for funerals and burials, focus on strengthening law enforcement in rural areas, and investigate and punish funeral practices such as cremation without cremation, re-burial of ashes, excessive burial areas, scattered mass graves, and uncivilized sacrifices. We will strengthen supervision over the market for funeral and burial supplies, and severely investigate and punish unlicensed production and illegal sales of funeral supplies. It is prohibited to sell funerary items such as oversized and overstandard tombstones.
Journalist: There is a lot of discussion about funeral reform and service in the society. The high consumption of funeral and burial has also become the focus of attention of the whole society. What specific measures have been taken to address these issues in the Views?
Luxichang: We will promote implementation in three main areas. First, the implementation of the Huimin funeral and burial policy. Funeral and funeral services follow the principles of voluntariness, equality, fairness and good faith, adhere to the public announcement of service charges, clearly price tag, and respect the will of the masses to consume. Four basic public services for the transportation, temporary storage, cremation and storage of ashes of human remains are provided free of charge to needy groups, such as low-security households, special hardship families, poor households and key welfare recipients. In addition, where conditions are met, the Huimin funeral policy can beLuxichang: The Opinions require that Party committees and governments at all levels be the subject of responsibility for the management and reform of funerals and burials in their respective areas. We need to establish and improve the funeral management and reform leadership system under the leadership of Party committees, government responsibility, departmental coordination, social participation and the rule of law. A leading group for funeral and funeral reform, headed by the main leaders of the party and government and composed of the heads of relevant departments, was established to form a three-level joint work pattern for counties(cities, districts), townships(towns), and villages(residences). We will establish an incentive mechanism for funeral management and reform, incorporate funeral management and reform into the performance evaluation system of the Party and government, clarify duties and responsibilities, formulate rewards and punishments, and promote the implementation of funeral management and reform tasks. The departments of civil affairs, development and reform, land and resources, forestry, industry and commerce, and commodity prices must perform their respective duties and cooperate closely to form a situation of joint management. At the same time, we need to step up our efforts to ensure that Party members and cadres take the lead in implementing the relevant provisions of the funeral and burial reform and strictly supervise and evaluate the accountability for such measures, so as to jointly do a good job in the management and reform of funeral and burial.
As one of the functional departments, the civil affairs department mainly takes the lead in formulating the rules for the management of funerals and burials, and the supervision of the examination and approval of funeral facilities. It also coordinates with relevant departments to stop mass graves and strengthen market supervision.
Reporter: Party members and cadres are the leaders of the masses. How can they play a leading role in the reform of funeral and burial? What are the demands of the "Opinions" issued this time?
Luxichang: The "Opinions" clearly require that party members and cadres should take the lead in civilized and frugal governance and mourning. It is forbidden to do great things in funeral activities, extravagance and waste, and it is forbidden to take the opportunity to accumulate money; Actively promote and advocate funeral reform and discourage bad funeral behavior. In the cremation area, after the death of party members and cadres, cremation must be carried out, ashes must not be reburied, and tombs must not be built above standard. In the burial area, after the death of party members and cadres, the remains should be buried in cemeteries and mass graves should not be buried. Party members and cadres who violate the relevant regulations on funeral and burial management will be held seriously accountable.
Reporter: This reform is a major change to change the customs of the millennium, involving millions of families. We can imagine the difficulty, the pressure and the resistance to push. So, how should the party committees and governments at all levels implement the principal responsibility?
Luxichang: the focus is to strengthen supervision and management, and effectively implement responsibility. Party committees and governments at the county and township levels, as the main body responsible for the funeral and burial reform work in their respective areas, should, in light of the actual situation, formulate specific measures for its implementation, taking funeral and burial reform as an important part of the performance assessment of the Party and government, the creation of spiritual civilization, the comprehensive management of public security, and the strategy of rural revitalization. We will improve the reward and punishment system, increase accountability, and promote the implementation of funeral and burial reforms. If the funeral and burial reform is weak, the problem of mass graves is prominent, and serious consequences and consequences are caused, the leaders concerned and those responsible will be investigated for responsibility in accordance with the rules and regulations.
Reporter: director Lu, after hearing your introduction, we have a comprehensive understanding of the main tasks of funeral reform in our city, full of confidence in funeral reform. So, through the reform of our city funeral business will achieve what kind of expected effect?
Luxichang: According to the reform goals set in the "Opinions": By 2020, the city has initially established a funeral management service system covering both urban and rural areas, and achieved equal public services for funerals and burials, and the public's awareness of funeral management According to law has been significantly enhanced. The cremation area has funeral service facilities at ｏｒ above the county level, which meets the National Environmental Protection standards and the cremation rate reaches 90 ｏｒ more; The rural public welfare cemetery facilities in the burial area cover 100 % of the administrative villages. Advocating the ecology of the festival, civilized and economical burial, the burial rate of ashes, tree burials, lawn burials, scattered, buried bodies, and no graves reached 50. The rate of mass graves buried along roads, scenic spots, water source areas and other key areas has reached 100 %. In the whole society, a new trend of nurturing thin burial, conservation ecology, and civilized and thrifty funeral and burial is formed.
Responsible Editor: Liyanmin, Editorial Department: 0719-2729868*