Thiruvananthapuram: It usually takes five to ten days for a dead body to be transported from Kerala to West Bengal, which is the case with most migrant workers who die here. However, it was in record time that the body of Mahabul Mondal, found dead on Thursday, was being flown out of Kerala on Saturday night.
It took Ernakulam district administration one day and several calls from the offices of labour minister, chief minister and Moorshidabad district administration to send an email connected with the transfer of Mondal’s body.
On Friday, the district administration of Moorshidabad and Ernakulam district labour office promised to pay Rs 16,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively for embalming and transportation charges. However, according to a government official in Moorshidabad, they had no clue to which bank account they needed to send the money. For, neither the Ernakulam district administration nor the district labour office had sent a formal letter with the details to Moorshidabad.
Eventually, it was after intervention by the media, activists and minister's office that the Ernakulam district administration acted, according to activists.
Every year, at least 500 migrant workers die in Kerala and in most cases, their cremation happens here as it is not easy to take their bodies to their home states, according to George Mathew, coordinator of an NGO called People’s Union for Justice which works for those in unorganised sectors. He says, “there is a problem because there is no government policy regarding transportation of bodies of workers who die outside their home state. We usually run around trying to meet the embalming and transportation charges, as well as getting various papers like police NOC, death certificate, doctors’ certificate and embalming certificate ready. This clerical work should be handled by a government agency,” he says.
The money allocated for transportation might be increased further to make the procedures smoother, says Labour Commissioner A. Alexander. In Mahabul Mondal’s case, the Ernakulam district administration is sending out the body to Moorshidabad in two days. Activists hope that a precedence has been set.
