Thiruvananthapuram: Bereavement is distressing and if the death of near ones occur abroad it could be more harrowing if the repatriation of mortal remains is cumbersome. Often the families of the deceased's kin back home solely rely on latter's friends or associations to bring back the bodies. In a bid to alleviate this misery, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the mortal remains of expatriates would be brought back from the Gulf countries to the state free of cost.
Non-Resident Keralites' Affairs (NORKA) Roots chief executive officer and Air India executive director (cargo) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) over this, the CM said in a Facebook post.
The project would benefit those who do not get the help of the job provider, sponsor or embassy, Pinarayi added.
The CM pointed out that kin of deceased Keralites often faced several difficulties, including financial, in flying back the deceased’s body from the Gulf.
“The state government had in its last budget announced a project to resolve this problem. This is being fulfilled now. The state government and Air India have reached a consensus on the modalities for bringing back the mortal remains of expatriate Keralites who die in the Gulf,” he explained.
The ambulance service of the NORKA Roots would then take the body to the home of the deceased.
Relatives and friends of deceased expatriate Keralites may submit application for this project. The application form and more details are available on https://www.norkaroots.org/.
They can also contact the toll-free number 1800 425 3939 (from India) or 00918802012345 (missed call service from abroad).