Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to kin of Kuwait fire victims

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of three persons from the state who died in the recent Kuwait fire incident. Three migrant workers from the state died in the recent fire accident in Kuwait.

T Lokanadam from Sompeta in Srikakulam district and M Satyanarayana and M Eswarudu from Peravali in East Godavari district died in the incident.

"Naidu is monitoring this matter closely and instructed relevant departments to coordinate and ensure the smooth transportation of the mortal remains of the deceased (persons) to their native places," said an official press release. Satyanarayana and Eswarudu were mistaken to be from West Godavari district earlier but they belong to East Godavari district.

According to Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS), which is the nodal agency for matters related to NRIs and migrant workers, the mortal remains of the three deceased persons would be sent to Visakhapatnam airport on Saturday morning from New Delhi Airport. Thereafter, they would be taken to their respective hometowns in Srikakulam and East Godavari districts.

Till recently, Lokanandam had been home in his village of Sompeta in Srikakulam district, having come from Kuwait for the elections and other engagements. But the same day that he returned to the West Asian country, he tragically died, a relative said. The village of Sompeta was blanketed in sorrow on Friday as relatives and acquaintances thronged the home of Lokanandam as they came to know of his tragic death soon after his return from his home town to his country of work.

Lokanandam was the lone breadwinner of his family and his mother was inconsolable, surrounded by relatives mourning his loss.

Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS), which is the nodal agency for matters related to NRIs and migrant workers, had said on Thursday that T Lokanandam from Srikakulam district and M Satyanarayana and M Eshwarudu from West Godavari district were identified among the deceased.

"As part of his return journey (to Kuwait), Lokanandam had gone to Hyderabad on June 5, stayed there for four days and then reached Kuwait on June 11," Lokanadam’s brother-in-law Santha Rao said. Lokanandam was the lone breadwinner of his family, and Sompeta villagers have reached out to Union Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu for help in repatriating his body.

The mortal remains of Lokanandam, Satyanarayana and Eshwarudu are expected to arrive in New Delhi by Friday afternoon, after which they would be despatched onward to Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada airports for further transit to their hometowns.

"As part of his return journey (to Kuwait), Lokanandam had gone to Hyderabad on June 5, stayed there for four days and then reached Kuwait on June 11," Lokanadam's brother-in-law Santha Rao said.