This Article is From Aug 27, 2012

Endosulfan victims issue: Ministers to visit Kasaragod

Thiruvananthapuram: A team of Ministers would visit Kasaragod next week and hold discussions with peoples' representatives in the district on the demands of endosulfan victims, an official release here said.

This was decided at a discussion held by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy with Kasaragod MP P Karunakaran and District Panchayat President PP Shyamala Devi in the capital on Sunday.

The Chief Minister told them that compensation would be made available to all endosulfan victims. The government had only prepared a preliminary list of completely bed-ridden people affected by endosulfan.

At the discussion, Chandy refuted the charge that the government was trying to deny compensation to all victims.

The government would publish the final list soon after rectifying the mistakes in the preliminary list.

He said a ministerial team comprising Health Minister VS Sivakumar, Panchayat Minister MK Muneer and Agriculture Minister KP Mohanan would visit the district and submit its report to the government, based on which the government would take action.

The Chief Minister assured them that a committee would be constituted to examine all issues relating to endosulfan victims including extension of moratorium on repayment of loans availed by the victims.

Chandy also told them that the government was committed to the implementation of the directives of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the the relief measures to be taken up for the victims, the release said.
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