Rehabilitation scheme for endosulfan victims

Senior Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran has called upon Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to convene a meeting to review the progress of the government initiative for relief and rehabilitation schemes for endosulfan victims.

“There have been complaints that the government-announced packages are not reaching the victims. The Chief Minister should hold a review meeting with people’s representatives and activists of various voluntary organisations that have been fighting for the cause of endosulfan victims,” Mr. Sudheeran told reporters here on Monday. The participation of activists of voluntary organisations in the review meeting is essential to assess the problems faced by endosulfan victims and their families, he said.

Hundreds of dead fish were found floating in the Teesta this morning, sparking a rush to catch them before experts warned that pesticides may have been sprinkled in the water, rendering the fish un

The ongoing agitation seeking swift relief and rehabilitation package for the hundreds of endosulfan victims has taken a curious turn with the victims and their families in the district sending letters to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking its intervention.

While several affected family members residing in remote villages sent the letters to the NHRC in their respective post offices, quite a few families under the aegis of Endosulfan Peeditha Janakeeya Munnai staged a march to the General Post Office here on Human Rights Day on Monday and sent individual letters to the NHRC.

The State government on Thursday told the High Court that it has identified 5,000 more victims of endosulfan pesticide in State.

The government made the statement while the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna was hearing a suo motu petition that observed that the pesticide had ruined “generations.” “We will be conducting medical camps for the identified victims of the deadly chemical. A compensation package will be announced following such camps,” said the advocate for the State government.

The State government has sanctioned Rs.60.87 lakh for providing educational assistance to endosulfan-affected families.

Minister for Panchayats and Social Welfare M.K. Muneer will inaugurate the disbursement of the assistance at Uppala in Kasaragod district on November 22. The Kerala Social Welfare Mission, which is providing the assistance, had received 2,292 applications for aid. The Minister will hand over the assistance to 12 children on Thursday. Assistance will be sent to others the same day by electronic money order, an official release said on Tuesday.

A joint expert committee on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the manufacture and use of pesticide endosulfan may be permitted for two years so as to exhaust the available stock.

The use and manufacture of endosulfan pesticide (banned by court since May last year) may be permitted for two years to exhaust all stocks of the raw material, the Joint Expert Committee informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

In its report submitted before a Bench of Justices Swatanter Kumar and Madan B. Lokur, the committee said: “India is a signatory to the Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions and is committed to discontinuing use of endosulfan over the next five years. All countries which have banned endosulfan have a phase-out plan for its use in agriculture over two to six years. Such a plan has ensured that all stocks available in the country are utilised and exhausted completely within a desirable time frame.”

The Endosulfan Peeditha Janakeeya Munnani on Thursday took out a march to the District Collector’s office seeking the implementation of the relief and rehabilitation package for victims.

Govt conducted unscientific, improper survey of Endo victims, alleges leader

Dakshina Kannada District Congress has decided to stretch a helping hand to more than 5,521 Endosulfan victims from 92 villages of Sullia, Puttur, Belthangady and Bantwal taluks in the district. Addressing a press conference in Mangalore on Thursday, Social Action Group for Empowerment (SAGE) Convenor and AICC Member P V Mohan said that Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad has responded positively for the first hand report sent by district Congress about Endo victims through AICC General Secretary Oscar Fernandes and assured of taking immediate actions.

Endosulfan Peeditha Janakeeya Munnani march today

District Collector P.S. Mohammed Sagir has said here that there is no ground to be apprehensive about the compensation due to the families of endosufan victims. The district administration had been informed about the apprehension of the families that they might be deprived of the compensation suggested by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). There was no need to worry about the government’s intentions, he said in a press release issued here on Wednesday.