Endosulfan victims – MLA takes officials to task

Mangaluru: MLA Harish Poonja took officials to task during the meeting organised by the assurances committee of the legislative council at the office of the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannnada district here on Wednesday November 14. The meeting was with regard to providing compensation to endosulfan victims and their families.

The Belthangady MLA was critical of the officials for failing to give facilities to people suffering from endosulfan use, their inability to reach out to the beneficiaries and for not providing health cards of the government to poor people. The MLA also complained to the chairman of assurances committee, K C Kondaiah on these irregularities.

Mr Poonja complained that eight super specialty hospitals have been failing to provide proper treatment to endosulfan patients despite the fact that the government has signed memorandum of understanding with these hospitals.

In response, Kondaiah urged the deputy commissioner Sasikanth Senthil, to resolve the issues after calling a meeting with the participation of all the hospitals.

Committee chairman, Kondaiah spoke of the situation and said,” three districts in the state have a considerable number of people suffering from endosulfan use, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada. Udupi and Uttara Kannada district have failed to provide necessary information to the committee with regard to the endosulfan patients in their respective districts.”

Water samples to be tested

The committee, later at the press conference announced its decision to collect samples of water from open wells and borewells located in 92 affected villages in order to test them to find out whether any traces of endosulfan are still present in the water.