Monday 12 / January / 2026
MUSCAT: Did you donate money for Kerala flood relief in 2019?
An investigation by Times of Oman has learnt that funds collected from Indian students in Oman for Kerala flood victims never reached the intended beneficiaries.
The money, believed to run into thousands of Omani rials, was collected through Indian schools in Oman following a request from the Indian Social Club (ISC), Muscat, which was the officially designated agency authorised to mobilise contributions for transfer to the Government of Kerala after the floods. However, the funds remained unutilised for several years and have now been redirected for the welfare and development of Indian schools in the Sultanate.
Confirming the news that the funds have been redirected for welfare and development of Indian schools in Oman, Syed Salman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Indian Schools in Oman, said the Board had only facilitated the collection at the request of ISC, which was the officially designated agency authorised to mobilise contributions for transfer to the Government of Kerala following the floods.
“The funds were collected in 2019 in response to a request from the Indian Social Club, which was the designated agency authorised to collect contributions for transfer to the Government of Kerala,” Salman said.
He clarified that the Board retained the funds in its custody, fully accounted for and untouched, as it did not have the authority to remit money outside Oman independently.
“Despite repeated follow-ups and formal approaches, the Indian Social Club was unable to confirm the utilisation mechanism or provide instructions for onward transfer of the funds,” Salman said.
Explaining why the funds remained unutilised for over six years, he added: “As per prevailing regulations and the Board’s mandate, the Board was not authorised to remit funds outside the country on its own accord.”
Addressing criticism over the recent decision to deploy the funds locally, Salman pointed to the severe financial strain faced by Indian schools in Oman, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The post-COVID economic landscape has exerted significant financial pressure on Indian schools. Many parents experienced income disruptions, directly affecting fee collections, which are the sole source of revenue for these community-run schools,” he said.
He highlighted that the situation is especially challenging for schools in interior and remote areas such as Masirah, Khasab, Thumrait, Rustaq, Duqm, and Saham, which operate with limited resources but continue to function to ensure access to education for Indian children across the Sultanate.
“These schools cater to smaller student populations, operate with limited infrastructure, and yet are sustained by the Board to ensure that every Indian child in Oman has access to education,” Salman added.
With the original purpose no longer operational and the funds remaining idle for years, the current Board undertook a comprehensive review and approved their utilisation through a voice vote.
“Recognising the urgent financial and infrastructural needs of interior schools, and guided by principles of fiduciary responsibility and community welfare, the Board resolved to utilise the unutilised funds strictly and exclusively for student welfare and educational purposes,” he said.
Salman stressed that the funds are being reinvested into the same community from which they were collected, ensuring transparency and ethical governance.
“This ensures that contributions originally made by the community are reinvested back into the same community, in alignment with ethical governance, transparency, and the spirit of collective welfare,” he said.
Rejecting allegations of impropriety, the chairman asserted that the decision serves the larger interest of the Indian educational ecosystem in Oman and would help bridge disparities between schools in interior regions and those in the capital.
He concluded by reaffirming the Board’s commitment to accountability and student welfare. “Above all, it reflects the Board’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that unutilised funds are deployed diligently, responsibly, and exclusively for the advancement of education.”
