: A high-level meeting to review the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) projects by NABARD to address the issues faced by endosulfan victims would be held in Thiruvananthapuram on April 16, Minister for Agriculture K.P. Mohanan has said.
The district-level Endosulfan Rehabilitation Cell meeting here on Monday, chaired by the Minister, called upon the government to earmark Rs.7.50 crore to write off loans below Rs.50,000 taken by 912 endosulfan victims to meet their medical expenses.
The meeting said a list of 374 victims who had availed themselves of loans up to Rs. 2 lakh has been prepared and the cell required Rs. 3 crore to settle the dues.
Speaking at the function, District Collector P.S. Muhammed Sagir said a list of 146 persons, who had taken loans in the range of Rs. 2-3 lakh, would be submitted at the next cell meeting to be considered for loan waiver.
The meeting has been asked to submit by April 10 the reports of the sub-committees headed by the local MLAs and panchayat-level monitoring committees formed to effectively co-ordinate the ongoing rehabilitation measures, the Minister said.
Stating that he had taken up the endosulfan issue in the Lok Sabha during the budget session, P. Karunakaran, MP, said the Union Health Ministry had taken a favourable view on the Rs.. 485 crore worth schemes submitted by the State.
More funds
Taking into account the NHRC recommendations, efforts are under way to utilise even more funds to mitigate the plight of endosulfan victims, Mr. Karunakaran said.
The meeting also decided to provide expert treatment for victims suffering from vision problems at the Pariyaram Ayurveda Medical College and Government Ayurveda Hospital in Kasaragod.
Assistant endosulfan nodal 0fficer Muhammed Asheel said steps would be taken to to carry out heart surgery for 25 victims at the Kochi-based Amritha Medical College.
The meeting held at the District Planning Committee (DPC) hall here was attended by local MLAs N.A.. Nellikkunnu, K.. Kunhiraman (Uduma), K. Kunhiraman (Trikaripur), district panchayat president P.P. Shyamala Devi, Cell members, representatives of various local bodies and senior district officials concerned.
