Smart cards for endosulfan victims to be issued within month: DC

“Our children are forced to consume sleeping tablets and parents attempting to visit the daycare centre for victims of endosulfan poisoning in Koila are chased away. Seon Ashram which runs the daycare centre has not convened a single meeting of parents for past two years,” complained parents of special children attending the daycare centre.

The meeting convened to review welfare schemes for victims of endosulfan poisoning at Netravathi Hall in DK ZP premises on Monday ended up exposing the sorry state of affairs at Kokkada and Koila daycare centres for endosulfan victims.

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V was informed on how six endosulfan victims were not able to attend the daycare centre in Kokkada as vehicle drivers refused to pick them up from their homes.

Some special children refused to visit the daycare centre as diapers were not available at the centre. A visibly shocked DC asked officials how the drivers of vehicles had taken control over the system.

He also took District Endosulfan Officer Dr Naveenchandra Kulal to task for not handling the issue effectively.

U C Paulose of Seon Ashram denied charges of giving sleeping tablets to inmates.

“We have run the centres adhering to all directions of the government,” he said.

The deputy commissioner directed the Puttur assistant commissioner to convene a meeting of parents of endosulfan victims and see whether Seon Ashram can be allowed to run the centre for the remaining six months of their term or any change has to made.

Three more daycare centres in Kaniyoor, Vitla and Panaje were ready and I am writing to the government to release funds in order to run these centres. Construction of daycare centre building in Bellare is yet to be taken up, he added.

Smart cards

The deputy commissioner directed officials to issue disability cards and smart cards within a month to all endosulfan victims in the district.

He directed the district disability welfare officer to involve multipurpose rehabilitation workers and village rehabilitation workers in the drive to issue disability cards to disabled persons, including endosulfan victims.

Endo Virodhi Horata Samiti president Sridhar Gowda complained about the delay in the issuance of smart cards by the health department.

Activist Ravindranath Shanbhag pointed out the need for nutritious food for endosulfan victims.

Dr Rajendra said he will propose to the government on issuing “Pusti” food kits to the victims.