The Telangana government has issued guidelines for providing Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to families of migrant workers from the state who died while working in Gulf countries, effective December 7, 2023 ¹. This move implements the government’s poll promise to support the welfare of Gulf workers. Eligible countries include Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

To claim the ex-gratia amount, family members must provide required documents, such as the death certificate, cancelled passport, proof of employment, and valid bank account details ¹. The district collector will verify these documents, and upon approval, the amount will be directly transferred to the beneficiary’s bank account.

Migrants’ rights activists have urged the government to expand the scheme to include countries requiring an Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) document ¹. Additionally, there are calls to provide ex-gratia to families of workers who died in the Gulf during previous governments, with a proposed amount of Rs 1 lakh each to support approximately 3,500 families.