The Sri Kshetra Dharmastala Rural Development Project, a non-governmental organisation, has decided to continue to manage the day-care centres for endosulfan victims at Kokkada and Koila in Dakshina Kannada till the district administration makes alternative arrangements.
The SKDRDP in a meeting with Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim on March 25 had announced that it would not manage the day-care centres from April 1. Its decision came following a letter by the district administration which pointed out that the NGO had drawn Rs. 28 lakh in excess towards transportation charge of patients.
During the meeting, Mr. Ibrahim had asked District Health Officer Ramakrishna Rao to initiate steps to recover Rs. 28 lakh.. He had also asked Dr. Rao to find out alternative ways of managing the centres.
The care centres were among the first of the relief measures for the endosulfan victims.
The State government released Rs. 1.25 crore to the SKDRDP in 2011 for managing them. The NGO also received donations of Rs. 10 lakh.
As many as 60 victims, who are in the 5-20 age group, are taken care of during the day at the two centres.
Two experienced physiotherapists are at these centres for conducting physiotherapy sessions for children with Down syndrome, Global Developmental Delay and muscular dystrophy which was said to be due to exposure to endosulfan.
In October 2015, the SKDRDP told the government about the difficulty in managing the two centres in the absence of enough funds. When the district administration pointed out at the excess amount of money withdrawn, the SKDRDP decided to opt out of running them.
Project Director of SKDRDP L.H. Manjunath said that they had decided to continue managing the centres to avoid hardship for victims.
He said that the NGO has asked the government to arrange within 15 days four vehicles needed for transportation of victims.
