Govt to pay aid for more victims of endosulfan

Thiruvananthapuram: A group of endosulfan victims called off their strike in front of the secretariat after the state government agreed to add 610 people into the list of victims.
Chief minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday said victims would get aid ranging from Rs 1 lakh to 3 lakh. A three-member committee headed by Dr Jayarajan will categorize the victims based on gravity of their illness.Chandy said five medical camps would be held from the end of February to identify more victims and doctors attending to their needs would get a monthly stipend of Rs 20,000.
He said the government would write off debts of victims and distribution of compensation would begin on February 8.
The leader of agitators, Dr Ambikasutan Manga du, said the government ac cepted their major de mands. But there were no decisions on removal and neutralisation of remain ing endosulfan as well as testing a well in Nancham parabu where pesticide was dumped.
Endosulfan victims had begun their sit-in on Janu ary 26 after the governmen failed to distribute aid. Ac cording to the agitators, on ly 2,791of the total 5,837 victims got aid recommended by National Human Rights Commission. They said the government had promised to write off debts in 2014 but it was not done.