Family members of an elderly migrant worker in Malda who died in Haryana on February 8, had to sell their agricultural land and also borrow cash from private lenders to arrange money to bring his body back home.

Sources said Iliyas Ali, 60, a resident of Mahanandapur panchayat in Chanchal-I block of the district, went to Punjab to work at a rice mill merely 10 days back.

“Ali suddenly fell ill and was admitted to a private nursing home in Kaithal district of Haryana. On February 8, he succumbed to his ailments after a surgery. The nursing home authorities claimed Rs 82,000 as expenses for his treatment. But we did not have the amount,” said Jiyaul Ali, one of Ali's sons, who along with one of his brothers, works in Rajasthan at a construction site.

Jiyaul added that recently they were compelled to borrow from private moneylenders for the marriage of one of his sisters.

“As our financial conditions deteriorated, my father went to Haryana to make some quick earnings. However, he died there. I called up home and realised that we didn’t have the money to pay the nursing home bills and take his mortal remains back home,” said the son.

Hasina Bibi, the deceased’s wife, planned to sell their agricultural land.

“We decided to sell our ancestral land measuring around 17 cottah for Rs 70,000. Even so, we had to borrow another equal amount to clear the bills and pay the hearse that our sons hired in Haryana to bring my husband’s body,” she said.

On Saturday, Ali’s body reached home.

As the issue came to light, BJP leaders were quick to point out the “pathetic condition” of migrant workers of Bengal despite the state government’s “tall promises”.

“The incident has once again exposed that Bengal has become a state which supplies labourers to other states as there is no stable source of income here. The chief minister and her cabinet colleagues have made tall talks on how concerned they are about the migrant workers. But this incident again proves that they are hardly bothered about these workers,” said Ujjwal Dutta, the BJP president of Malda north (organisational) district.

Trinamul leaders, however, claimed Ali's amily would receive all due benefits from the state government.

Ruksana Parvin, the deputy of the Trinamul-run local panchayat said Ali had not registered himself with the state’s portal for migrant workers.

“Despite that, we are trying to arrange all possible help for the family from our end. The block administration has also been informed,” she said.

ATM Rafikul Hossain, the sahakari sabhadhipati of Malda Zilla Parishad, said: "The bereaved family will get Rs 25,000 for bringing the body to Malda and another Rs 2,000 for his funeral under the migrant workers' welfare scheme."