A review by the Labor Department reveals: A worker's breath was taken away, but stuck in 'Sambal' files; 18,797 families were deprived of their entitlement to compensation of ₹4 lakh each.

Following the death of a laborer, the family was supposed to receive assistance of ₹4 lakh, but in many districts, the assistance is stuck in file, portal, document, and bank-related hurdles. In Damoh, even after five months, the application has not moved beyond the Sambal branch. In Alirajpur, the family learned after the death that the Sambal card was never made. In Khachrod, the approved payment is repeatedly failing in the bank account. Leelabai's case has been approved but has been pending for seven months. The Department of Labor...