Your current location:HOME >world >Qingdao cemetery put under investigation for illegal expansion 正文
TIME:2024-05-09 09:33:48 Source: Internet compilationEdit:world
Authorities in Qingdao, Shandong province, have set up a joint investigation team to probe an illega
Authorities in Qingdao, Shandong province, have set up a joint investigation team to probe an illegal expansion of a public cemetery.
The move comes following a report from China National Radio, which said that the Taipingling cemetery in the city's Chengyang district has been expanded beyond its approved area.
The local civil affairs department approved the nearly 6-hectare cemetery in 1996. Satellite remote sensing shows, however, that the cemetery's operator has dug into mountains and cleared forests in protected spaces of the Laoshan scenic area to build more graves for years.
In an interview with CNR, Zhang Min, deputy head of the Chengyang government, said a thorough investigation is necessary to learn more details about the violations.
A preliminary probe shows that about 10,000 grave sites have been set up in the cemetery, and about 7,000 have been sold, he said.
Local authorities have not disclosed how many of the sold graves were built illegally, but said sales of all grave sites in the expansion area have been suspended. Moreover, the illegal grave sites will be destroyed, and the areas they occupy will be restored.
According to CNR, the cemetery was previously a cooperative business run by villagers of the Huayin residential compound. In 2001, Qingdao Taipingshan Public Service Co was established to run the cemetery.
According to corporate data provider Qichacha, the majority stakeholder of the company is Yang Shihui, head of the Huayin neighborhood committee. Yang holds 51 percent of the company's shares, while the committee holds the remainder.
According to media reports, Taipingshan was fined over 9 million yuan ($1.2 million) by Chengyang's department of natural resources for committing three violations late last year.
Two of the violations concerned illegal land occupation, while the other pertained to improper use of forestland.
According to CNR, graves in the cemetery were sold at prices ranging from almost 90,000 yuan to 718,000 yuan.
Li Baolu, deputy head of the Qingdao public security bureau's forest police squad, said the joint investigation team will conduct a thorough probe into the case to see whether there are criminal offenses.
Local police will severely crack down on any crimes that may have been perpetrated by the company, "with zero tolerance" for violations, he stressed.
Travis Kelce cast in FX's 'American Horror Story: Grotesquerie'2024-05-09 09:24
Frat boys at UNC Chapel Hill surround American flag in protection as pro Palestine mob runs wild2024-05-09 09:16
Russia is violating UN limits on petroleum shipments to North Korea, the White House says2024-05-09 09:05
Foreigners make nearly 3M inbound, outbound trips to China in Jan2024-05-09 09:04
Republicans renew push to exclude noncitizens from the census that helps determine political power2024-05-09 09:03
Maryland officials release timeline, cost estimate, for rebuilding bridge2024-05-09 08:56
Top Pakistan medical official resigns for mishandling fast bowler's elbow injury2024-05-09 08:02
Jeremiah Manele elected as Solomon Islands' new PM: Governor General2024-05-09 07:35
Neighbour, 33, admits killing girl, 11, with poisonous gas used to kill bed bugs2024-05-09 07:13
A North Carolina man is charged with mailing an antisemitic threat to a Georgia rabbi2024-05-09 06:50
Georgia court to review ruling allowing Fani Willis to stay on Trump case2024-05-09 09:15
US stocks close mixed as traders digest Fed chair's message2024-05-09 09:13
Chinese projects in Philippines yield tangible results, benefit locals2024-05-09 09:12
Alabama lawmakers approve legislation to ensure President Biden is on the November ballot2024-05-09 08:44
Pennsylvania sees fewer mail ballots rejected for technicalities, a priority for election officials2024-05-09 08:42
Sickening moment father made his six2024-05-09 08:33
Economists see need for more stimulus2024-05-09 08:33
China to send Spain new giant panda couple on April 292024-05-09 08:16
California Supreme Court to weigh pulling measure making it harder to raise taxes from ballot2024-05-09 07:01
US stocks close mixed as traders digest Fed chair's message2024-05-09 06:51