Hyderabad: A right to information (RTI) reply from the Telangana State Hajj Committee has revealed delays in disbursal of ex gratia payments announced for victims of the Madinah bus accident in Saudi Arabia, in which several people from Telangana lost their lives.
The accident occurred on November 17, 2025, near Medina in Saudi Arabia, when a bus carrying Umrah pilgrims — many of them from Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana — collided with a diesel tanker and caught fire.
A total of 45 people were killed, with only one passenger surviving. Reports said many passengers were asleep at the time of the crash, contributing to the high casualty toll.
Rs 5 lakh ex gratia announced
Following the tragedy, the Telangana government announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased.
Three months after the accident, Minority Welfare Minister Mohammad Azharuddin February 12 said that the funds had already been sanctioned and that the delay was due to administrative reasons, including the Chief Minister’s schedule, assuring that payments would be released soon.
However, according to the RTI response dated April 23, as many as 29 ex gratia cheques have been issued to affected families. However, 16 beneficiaries’ cheques are still pending for disbursement, with the delay attributed to reports awaited from the Collectorate and the Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO).
The information was provided in response to an RTI application filed by Mohammed Aslam, identified as Musheerabad Bharat Rashtra Samithi Vidyarthi (BRSV) president.
The reply indicates that while cheques for the pending beneficiaries have been prepared, disbursal is on hold due to pending verification reports from local authorities.
Reacting to the RTI findings on X, the petitioner tagged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and alleged a discrepancy between official claims and actual payments. He said that while it was earlier stated in February 2026 that 44 families affected in the accident had been given Rs 5 lakh each, the RTI shows only 29 payments so far.
He further claimed that 16 families have been waiting for nearly six months, questioning why reports from the Collectorate and MRO are still pending.
Aslam added that the Minority Department has already prepared the cheques and that the delay lies at the local administration level.
Referring to beneficiaries in areas such as Adikmet and Musheerabad, he asked when the pending cheques would be delivered, stating that “under the pretext of pending reports, justice is being delayed.”
The RTI reply also notes that if the applicant is not satisfied, an appeal can be filed with the Executive Officer of the Telangana State Haj Committee within one month.
