While the exercise of forming the new government is still on, the endosulfan victims in the district are preparing to renew their demands with the new political leaders.
The victims have been demanding permanent care centres for the bedridden. They also want an increase in the monthly stipend and direct treatment of victims in empanelled private hospitals in the district.
Endosulfan victim and president of Endo Virodhi Horata Samiti K. Shridhar Gowda told The Hindu that the members of the samiti have planned to meet the new Chief Minister on May 29 and appraise him of the problems of endosulfan victims. “We will convey our demands and ask him to resolve it by August 1. If no action is taken, we will start our protest from August 15,” he said.
Mr. Gowda said he intends to involve religious heads from different communities in the fight. “I have met a couple of religious heads. We will be have a meeting with them and other supporters in Kokkada (in Belthangady) in the first week of June to work out the modalities of the protest,” he said.
Mr. Gowda hoped for a better response to endosulfan victims from the newly-elected Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja, who was involved in several protests held by the Samiti. “He arranged for the stay and food for endosulfan victims when we carried out a protest in Bengaluru (in November 2015),” Mr. Gowda said. He added that Mr. Poonja has better knowledge of situation of victims as he has personally visited each of their houses in Belthangady. “This gives me a feeling that he (Mr. Poonja) will speak about their issues in the Legislative Assembly,” he said.
Soon after getting elected from Belthangady constituency, Mr. Poonja told presspersons that addressing issues of endosulfan victims was among the primary tasks before him.
The State government has identified 3,628 victims of endosulfan in Dakshina Kannada. While a maximum of 1,560 are from Puttur, followed by 1,291 victims in Belthangady, 392 in Bantwal, 270 in Mangaluru and 249 victims in Sullia.
Stipend
The State government was paying about ₹85 lakh per month in form of stipend to 3,069 victims of Dakshina Kannada. While ₹1,500 was paid to those with disability between 25% and 60 % , ₹3,000 was being paid to those with disability more than 60%. No stipend was being paid to those with disability less than 25%.
Among the relief measures that the victims were getting were monthly health check-up camps, free bus passes to endosulfan victims and caretakers to visit nearby hospitals, and free ration for victims.
