Well mate, I was never a devout practicing Hindu, but I know that it considered a religious custom for pilgrims to bathe in the river, if that is what you are asking. As far as I know there are no financial issues associated with this practice.
It is also true that the ashes of cremated corpses are sent into the river - this however, is a selective process, but the selection depends more on caste than finances.
It is also worth noting that in Bihar, the caste mentality is far more ingrained than in the rest of India. This, in my opinion, is one of the reasons why it hasn't been as successful as the rest of India in modernizing.