An amount of Rs 9.35 crore has been allotted for the victims of Kerala’s endosulfan tragedy by the social justice department, said minister KK Shailaja. She said that the decision comes as part of implementing the recommendation made by the National Human Rights Commission on the basis of the Supreme Court order of October 1, 2017. The SC had directed the state government to release compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to all the affected persons within three months, and to consider the feasibility of providing treatment to them.
The amount would benefit the 279 people identified as eligible after a special medical camp was conducted in 2017. “This was decided last March and we welcome the decision. I understand it will benefit the people from the second list (identified as eligible) made in 2017,” says Muneesa, president, Endosulfan Peeditha Janakeeya Munnani.
The press release put out by the social justice department says that in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan last March, it was decided that an amount of Rs 30 crore, as recommended by the NHRC, would be given to the affected persons. In addition to Rs 12 crore in the account of Kasargode Endosulfan Cell, Rs 18 crore would also be deposited, it was decided then. The allocation of Rs 9.35 crore is the first step of implementing it.
The social justice department had also earlier announced an amount of Rs 4.39 crore to write off the loans between Rs 50,000 and Rs 3 lakh taken by the endosulfan victims. “That, I understand would benefit those identified in the earlier list. Before this, loans up to Rs 50,000 had been written off,” Muneesa says.
She had, only days ago, led a protest of 30 victims including herself of the 20 year old endosulfan tragedy in Kasargode, all the way to Thiruvananthapuram, to demand a much-delayed justice. They wanted the lists made by the government to be revised to include more children affected by the spraying of the pesticide, whose effects last long after it was banned in the state. After five days of protest, they had reached a compromise with the government agreeing to include more names to the list, among other promises. (link to earlier story).