By TCN Staff Correspondent,
New Delhi: National Human Rights Commission issued a notice to the State government for non-payment of adequate compensation to victims of pesticide, endosulfan in Kasaragod district. The current budget allocation of the state government is not adequate enough to pay five lakh rupees to the next of kin of the victims who lost their life on exposure to the pesticide and to those who are mentally retarded and bedridden, as this would sum up to a mammoth amount of 500 crore rupees.
The Commission is planning to approach the Supreme Court for execution of its orders, if the government failed to pay up. The government had announced an increase in the compensation from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh to the victims and budgeted funds are being released.
“We are acting in stages. Educational assistance had already been given to children of families affected by endosulfan,” notes the Agriculture Minister K. P. Mohanan.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has sought central assistance for the payment of compensation as the State government alone could not pay the amount. Until now centre hasn’t taken a favourable stand on the state governments request and CM is expected to press for the package in his visit to the Delhi this month.
The previous government’s decision to compensate the victims with, land belonging to the Plantation Corporation of Kerala invited protest from the trade unions. Besides there were doubts as to whether the proposed area would have residues of endosulfan or its metabolites. So if the present government decides to compensate through land, it is imperative that land free of endosulfan residues is identified for rehabilitation.
Though victims are known to exist in several estate areas of Idukki, Wayanad and Palakkad districts; survey activities and epidemiological studies are yet to be carried out to assess and identify the level of victimization. Besides the district level cell formed by the government in Kasaragod to assess the relief and rehabilitation of the victims has turned ineffective with NGO’s and others, who were active in helping the victims, excluded from the committee.