Mangalore, Feb 28: Victims affected by Endosulfan were distributed with eligibility certificates of their revised monthly stipend at a programme organised by Dakshina Kannada district administration, zilla panchayat and Department of Health and Family Welfare at Manchi in Bantwal taluk on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim said that the district had identified a total of 1,815 Endosulfan victims in the district who were eligible to receive monthly stipend from the state government. The distribution to these victims in Bantwal, Mangalore, Puttur and Belthangady taluks will commence within a week, he said.
He said that the High Court had directed the government to distribute a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000 to those who have 60 percent disabilities and Rs 1,500 to those with 40 – 60 percent disabilities. However, in Dakshina Kannada, victims with 40 – 60 percent disabilities will be given Rs 2,000 each as monthly stipend, he said.
He said that the process of identifying Endosulfan victims and identity card distribution programmes would continue in the district. As many as 2,489 victims affected by Endosulfan had been recognized in the district in the first phase. Officials have been directed to conduct a re-survey in areas where people raise complaints and identify victims, who were left out in the previous surveys, he said.
He said that the district administration was contemplating on extending the benefits of 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, the distribution of rice at Re 1 per kg to BPL card holders, to families of suspected endosulfan victims in the district. A proposal has been sent to the state government in this regard, he said.
Endosulfan victims' rehabilitation district nodal officer Arun Kumar said that an additional two mobile health units would be introduced to provide healthcare to victims at their doorsteps. “We have four mobile health units operational in the district and two more will be added soon,” he said.
Endosulfan Virodhi Horata Samithi president Mohammed Peer said that many genuine victims of Endosulfan with disabilities, had been left out in several villages in the district. “A re-survey should be conducted to identify the genuine victims and permanent healthcare centres should be set up in each taluk. Permanent centres will help victims to recover themselves on a large scale,” he added.
District in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai distributed stipend eligibility certificates to suspected Endosulfan victims of Bantwal taluk on the occasion. District health officer H S Shivakumar was present.
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