<p class="title">Mothers with their endosulfan-hit children staged a 'dharna' in front of the Secretariat here demanding speedy disbursal of compensation and implementation of the rehabilitation package.<br /><br />At least 300 members of the endosulfan-affected children reached the state capital this morning from Kasaragod, the northernmost district, to participate in the token protest. Social activist Daya Bai inaugurated the sit-in protest along with former minister and CPI leader, Binoy Vishwam. Those identified as victims in the medical camps should also find a place in the beneficiary list, they said adding if the Kerala government fails to find a solution, an indefinite agitation would be launched from March 15.<br /><br />The Supreme Court had in January last year directed the state government to disburse compensation and rehabilitation package for endosulfan pesticide victims within 3 months. A bench headed by then Chief Justice J S Khehar had ordered the government to provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of persons who died following exposure to the pesticide and those who became bed-ridden or mentally-challenged.<br /><br />The order had been passed on a petition by CPI(M)'s youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) seeking country-wide ban on sale and production of endosulfan in its present form or any other derivative in the market. Endosulfan, an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide, was used widely on crops like cashew, cotton, tea, paddy, fruits and others until 2011, when the Supreme Court banned its production and distribution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The health effects of the chemical include neurotoxicity, late sexual maturity, physical deformities, poisoning among others.</p>
<p class="title">Mothers with their endosulfan-hit children staged a 'dharna' in front of the Secretariat here demanding speedy disbursal of compensation and implementation of the rehabilitation package.<br /><br />At least 300 members of the endosulfan-affected children reached the state capital this morning from Kasaragod, the northernmost district, to participate in the token protest. Social activist Daya Bai inaugurated the sit-in protest along with former minister and CPI leader, Binoy Vishwam. Those identified as victims in the medical camps should also find a place in the beneficiary list, they said adding if the Kerala government fails to find a solution, an indefinite agitation would be launched from March 15.<br /><br />The Supreme Court had in January last year directed the state government to disburse compensation and rehabilitation package for endosulfan pesticide victims within 3 months. A bench headed by then Chief Justice J S Khehar had ordered the government to provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of persons who died following exposure to the pesticide and those who became bed-ridden or mentally-challenged.<br /><br />The order had been passed on a petition by CPI(M)'s youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) seeking country-wide ban on sale and production of endosulfan in its present form or any other derivative in the market. Endosulfan, an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide, was used widely on crops like cashew, cotton, tea, paddy, fruits and others until 2011, when the Supreme Court banned its production and distribution.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The health effects of the chemical include neurotoxicity, late sexual maturity, physical deformities, poisoning among others.</p>