The Kerala government has decided to declare those missing in the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides as deceased to facilitate the disbursement of ex-gratia payments to their families. This decision, issued on Tuesday, aims to provide financial relief to the relatives of 35 individuals who disappeared during the disaster on July 30, 2024.  

Committees will be established at both local and state levels to oversee the procedures needed to officially declare the missing individuals as deceased. These committees will work in coordination with the revenue department, which will gather first information reports (FIRs) for the missing persons and prepare detailed inquiry reports confirming their inability to be located.  

At the local level, the committee will comprise the panchayat secretary, village officer, and police station house officer. This committee will compile a list of missing persons and submit it to the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) for further review. The DDMA will then forward the list to the state-level committee with its recommendations.  

The state-level committee, including the additional chief secretary (home), principal secretary (revenue and disaster management), and principal secretary (local self-government), will scrutinize the list and submit it to the government for final approval. Based on this process, the government will issue orders to provide ex-gratia payments to the families of those declared deceased.  

The government has outlined a series of steps to be followed in this process. The closest relative of a missing person must file an FIR at their local police station. If the incident occurred outside their jurisdiction, the FIR must be referred to the concerned police station. A notarized statement from the relative, alongside supporting documents such as the ration card, bank passbook, and identification proofs, must be submitted to the tahsildar or sub-divisional magistrate.  

The tahsildar or sub-divisional magistrate will conduct a thorough inquiry and issue a provisional order concluding that the missing person is no longer alive. This comprehensive procedure ensures that families of the missing receive the necessary financial aid while maintaining due diligence.