Endosulfan victims under the aegis of Endo Virodhi Horata Samiti will be carrying out a protest on April 27 against the alleged inaction of the State government in fulfilling their demands — payment of stipend and free bus pass facility.
Talking to reporters here on Thursday, the samiti’s convenor and Endosulfan victim Sridhar Gowda said the State government has kept the payment of stipend of Rs. 1,800 of the Rs. 3,000 per month pending for last four months of as many as 2,602 of the 3, 295 victims eligible for monthly stipend. Of the amount, Rs. 1,200 was being paid by the Revenue Department while the remaining Rs. 1,800 was being paid by the Health Department.
“We do not know why they (Health Department) have stopped paying us,” Mr. Gowda said.
Mr. Gowda expressed dismay over the way KSRTC was issuing free bus passes that enables the victim and a person accompanying him to have a free ride in the bus for treatment.
Mr. Gowda said the KSRTC was not accepting smart cards issued by the government as a proof that they are Endosulfan victims. Instead, the victims are being asked to produce a medical certificate from the nearby Primary Health Centre. There were nearly 300 victims who are being denied of free bus passes because of absence of smart cards, which the State government has stopped issuing since March 31.
Passes denied
The KSRTC was denying passes to parents of around 200 odd victims who are bedridden, he added.
Mr. Gowda said the mobile treatment facility proposed for bed-ridden victims was yet to take off. For too long the State government has been in the stage of calling tenders from firms providing vehicles for this purpose, he said. Mr. Gowda said he and other victims will carry out a protest before the office of the Deputy Commissioner in Mangaluru. Victims will be writing letters to High Court judges pointing out the unfulfilled promises of the State government and the problems they were facing, he said.
Victims to write to High Court judges about the State government’s unfulfilled promises
‘Mobile treatment facility proposed for
bed-ridden victims is yet to take off’
