Families of deceased Gulf workers await Rs.5 lakh ex gratia in Karimnagar

Fifty families of deceased Gulf migrant workers from the erstwhile Karimnagar district are awaiting the release of Rs.5 lakh ex gratia each. Despite completion of formalities, the Rs.2.5 crore assistance is yet to be credited, allegedly due to official lapses.

Karimnagar: Family members of deceased Gulf migrant workers from the erstwhile Karimnagar district are eagerly waiting for the release of the Rs.5 lakh ex gratia promised to the kin of deceased Gulf labourers.

A total of 50 families are awaiting the financial assistance. An amount of Rs.2.5 crore, calculated at Rs.5 lakh each for 50 families, is yet to be released. Though all formalities have already been completed, the ex gratia has not been deposited into the bank accounts of the victims’ family members, allegedly due to negligence by officials of the General Administration Department NRI wing at the Secretariat.

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District administrations had submitted details of eligible beneficiaries to the State government after completing verification of essential documents, including passports, death certificates, family verification and bank account particulars, through the Tahsildars, thereby completing the application process. In this regard, Jagtial Collector B Satya Prasad has submitted reports to the State government on multiple occasions.

However, despite the funds being ready for disbursement, the amounts have reportedly not been credited to the bank accounts of the bereaved families due to alleged lapses by officials. The affected families have appealed for the intervention of the district Minister and Dharmapuri MLA Adluri Lakshman Kumar, along with other MLAs, MLCs and MPs, to ensure the immediate release of the sanctioned ex gratia.

Of the total, the highest number of 19 families awaiting assistance are from Korutla constituency, followed by Dharmapuri with 14, Jagtial with seven, Vemulawada with six and Choppadandi with four.

The Congress government had launched the Rs.5 lakh Gulf ex gratia scheme and issued guidelines on October 16, 2023. According to the guidelines, migrant labourers who died in seven Gulf countries on or after December 7, 2023, are eligible for the benefit.

After following all parameters, officials finalised the list of eligible labourers who died in seven Gulf countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

While the State government is providing financial assistance to Gulf migrants who died on or after December 7, 2023, the Gulf JAC has demanded that the ex gratia be extended to victims who died after the formation of a separate Telangana. About 2000 migrant workers have died from 2014 to 2023, JAC members said.