Berhampur: The body of a 25-year-old migrant labourer from Ganjam district, who died due to illness in Doha, Qatar, five days ago, reached his native village Naikanipalli in Khallikote block on Thursday following the intervention of the district administration and the labour department.The deceased, Kuna Khunti, had been working as a welder with a construction company in Doha for the past five months. He died on March 7 of suspected heart attack. According to his friends, Khunti returned from work and went to sleep, but did not wake up the next morning. His messmates rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. One of his friends informed the family the same day.Concerned family members had appealed to the state govt through the district administration to facilitate the repatriation of his body so that last rites could be performed in the village.“Following the request of the family, a report was submitted to the director of labour through the district collector, seeking arrangements for bringing back the body from Qatar,” said Barsharani Jena, district labour officer (DLO), Chhatrapur.The body was brought to the village after the labour department coordinated with the Indian embassy in Doha, she said, adding that she and other officials were present when the body arrived.A pall of gloom descended on the village after the arrival of the mortal remains.Khunti was unmarried, and his family had planned his marriage later this year after his return. “He was in constant touch with us. We never expected such sudden and tragic news,” said his mother, Runu. Khunti was the sole breadwinner of the family.His father, Jaya Khuntia, a daily wage labourer, said his son had gone to the Gulf in Oct last year along with others and was employed in Qatar. “We are shocked by his sudden death,” he said.
