* About 2,600 Indian are dying in Saudi Arabia every year
* Log jam in the repatriation of dead bodies and long delay
Sunke Rajaiah of Kondapur village in the Jagtial district of Telangana state had died on April 14 while being treated in Riyadh hospital, Saudi Arabia. The shipment of the coffin was delayed to India due to the suspension of flights.
This issue was brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy in Riyadh on June 21 through the portal MADAD (Consular Services Management System) by T. Jeevan Reddy the member of the legislative assembly of Telangana State. Officials said to T. Jeevan Reddy that the embassy was not awarer Sunke Rajaiah had died more than a month ago. The Indian Embassy said they will register the death immediately and very shall begin the process of repatriation. As the exit permit was not issued by the sponsor the process of sending the body took more time. A Telangana social worker in Saudi, Badugu Laxman had worked with his team to send the body from Saudi Arabia to India.
Sunke Rajaiah coffin had reached Rajiv Gandhi Airport on Saturday said Bheem Reddy Mandha president of Emigrants Welfare Forum.the family member of Sunke Rajaiah’s said that the funeral will be held in the village on Sunday.
On the initiative of state minister Koppula Eshawar and local Dharmapuri MLA, the NRI department of Telangana State had provided a free ambulance facility for transporting the coffin from Hyderabad to the native village. Family members of the late Sunke Rajaiah thanked the local leaders Poreddy Chandra Reddy and Thigulla Sanjeeva Reddy for their cooperation during the difficult times.
Every year about 2600 Indians dies in Saudi Arabia for numerous reasons like heart attack, suicide, illness, worksite accident, road accident, etc. The bodies of Chetkuri Rajesham of Rajanna Sircilla District and Chiliveri Lacham of Jagtial District are also repatriated recently after a long delay.
Swadesh Parkipandla the President of Pravasi Mithra Labour Union said ‘The cancellation of transportation cost and Visa are the prime reason for the delay in repatriation of dead bodies’ Any given time around 100 mortal remains of Indian workers is lying in mortuaries in Saudi Arabia waiting to be repatriated back home. Log jam in the repatriation of dead bodies in the jurisdiction of Indian Missions in Riyadh and Jeddah due to staff shortage.
