The Indian government has directed its embassy here to get the maximum financial assistance for the family of an Indian worker, whose body was repatriated home without any compensation by a social service organization in Al-Kharj, some 60 kms from the capital.
Prominent social organization SAHYI repatriated the body of Madhavan Gopalan, 52-years-old, who died of a brain hemorrhage. SAHYI arranged SR 8,000 from contributions made by its members for transporting Madhavan’s body to his hometown in Palakkad, Kerala by Emirates Airlines on Friday.
Madhavan was working as a mechanic for the past 26 years under the sponsorship of Mohammed Falah Arjani, who has not paid the deceased man’s end-of-service nor the costs of repatriating his body.
The request made by the Federation of Kerala Associations (FOKASA) to allot funds from the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) was turned down by the Indian Embassy since the mission had received clearance from the labor office indicating that all expenses were settled by the sponsor.
According to FOKASA President, R. Muraleedharan, the assistant personal secretary to the minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Shri Vayalar Ravi, K.V. Unnikrishnan have directed the deputy chief of mission of the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, to take necessary action for the payment of financial assistance from ICWF for the deceased worker.
ICWF provides boarding and lodging for distressed overseas Indian workers in the domestic sector and unskilled laborers. In addition the ICWF extends emergency medical care to those in need, providing air passage to stranded overseas Indians, as well as providing initial legal assistance to deserving cases and bearing the expenditure on airlifting the mortal remains of the deceased Indians to their native cities.
Overseas Indian workers duped by unscrupulous intermediaries in the host countries, runaway house maids, victims of accidents, deserted spouses of overseas Indians, or undocumented overseas Indian workers in need of emergency assistance are the main beneficiaries of the fund.
