Telangana Bears Cost Of Repatriating Body Of Worker Who Died In Oman
Golla Abbulu, also known as Togari Abbayya, 40, a resident of Yamcha village in Navipet mandal of Nizamabad district, had gone to Salalah in Oman four months ago to work for a cleaning company: Reports
NIZAMABAD: In a rare humanitarian gesture, the Telangana government stepped in to bear the entire cost of repatriating the mortal remains of a migrant worker who died in a Gulf country, at a time when both the company management and the Indian Embassy expressed their inability to do so.
Golla Abbulu, also known as Togari Abbayya, 40, a resident of Yamcha village in Navipet mandal of Nizamabad district, had gone to Salalah in Oman four months ago to work for a cleaning company. After leaving the company due to dissatisfaction with the management, he died on December 14 in the Ibri region. Under local laws, workers who leave their employer without permission are treated as illegal residents and lose certain rights and facilities.
Citing this, the company management stated that it bore no responsibility for repatriating the body. While such cases are usually supported through the Indian Community Welfare Fund, an official from the Indian Embassy in Muscat informed the family that due to a shortage of funds, ₹1.50 lakh would have to be paid to transport the body, failing which the last rites would have to be performed in Oman.
The issue was brought to the notice of CM Prajavani in-charge and vice-chairman of the state planning board, G. Chinna Reddy, by members of the NRI advisory committee and Pravasi Prajavani volunteers. CM Prajavani nodal officer Divya Devarajan responded immediately after understanding the gravity of the situation.
The family thanked Bodhan MLA P. Sudarshan Reddy for sanctioning the amount. Gunde¬ti Ganesh, president of the Telangana wing of the Indian Social Club in Oman, coordinated the process and extended support.
