Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadeesha has directed officials to provide facilities to endosulfan victims and their family members on priority.

Chairing a meeting of Endosulfan Victims’ Rehabilitation Executive Committee at Ambedkar Bhavan in Kokkada on Thursday, he said, “If endosulfan victims and their family members apply for government benefits, the facilities should be sanctioned immediately. If needed, a proposal will be sent to the government for the simplification of rules. Inordinate delay in providing facilities to the endosulfan victims will not be tolerated.”

The process of issuing identity cards and smart cards for endosulfan victims should be accelerated and should be completed by August-end. Necessary medicines will be provided to them free of cost in government hospitals. If they have received treatment at private hospitals, the expenses will be borne by the government, he noted.

BPL cards will be provided to the affected families. The affected children will be given free education at their houses, the DC said and directed the tahsildar to identify land for sites to be provided to eligible victims. Gram Panchayats should sanction facilities under housing schemes and also toilets, he said.

He said meetings will be held with various banks to check the delay of monthly pension to endosulfan victims. The old pension dues have been paid. If pension is paid to ineligible, such pensions will be blocked, he said.

The physiotherapy units will function six days in a week at the day care centres. A committee will be formed for the management of the day care centres. The health minister will conduct a high-level meeting on the demands of endosulfan victims, he noted.

Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr M R Ravi, Puttur AC Dr Raghunandan Murthy, Mangaluru AC Renuka Prasad, District Health Officer Dr Ramakrishna Rao, tahsildars of all taluks, Kokkada Gram Panchayat president Sebastian, Endo Horatagarara Samiti member Peer Muhammed Saheb and family members of Endosulfan victims were present in the meeting.