Congress plans package for Endosulfan victims

To restore the lost pride in the endosulfan issue, the Congress is planning to come up with a comprehensive rehabilitation package for the endosulfan victims of Kasargod when the UDF comes to power.

The top leadership of the party in the state is of the view that the Stockholm Convention and the Central Government’s stand on the issue did not give due importance to the rehabilitation package and also into the compensation proposals for the victims.

 

The party has now decided to formulate a comprehensive package for all the surviving victims with the support of the Centre.

The proposals mooted by the Congress leadership also include a comprehensive health insurance and healthcare package.

‘’The present packages announced by the State Government do not cover all the needs of the victims. It has to be reworked and help should be rendered to everyone,’’ said V M Sudheeran who has been the lone voice from the Congress in the fight against the pesticide lobby.

 

In fact, in the KPCC meeting held in Kochi the other day, the leaders observed that it was the fight taken out by V M Sudheeran that had saved the face of the party to a certain extent when the LDF was united in taking the agitation against the pesticide lobby.

 

Now the Congress leader’s are of the belief that the next UDF Government should not lose no time in regaining the confidence of the people of Kasargod as already there is a popular feeling that the Congress in the state stood with the Centre in protecting the interests of the endosulfan lobby.

‘’The victims need has been ignored by the Stockholm Convention. The ground reality of the aftereffects of the usage of this dreaded pesticide had been totally ignored by the Geneva conclave. The State Government will have to evolve a comprehensive package to help them,’’ Sudheeran told Express.

The UDF leadership is of the belief that despite endosulfan ban during the regime of A K Antony-led government in the state, the usage of endosulfan was high over the past five years in the state. The Plantation Corporation is the main accused and the district administration which gave permission for the Corporation to use the pesticide would be held responsible, if UDF comes back to power. The Congress admitted that there had been lapses on dealing with the endosulfan issue and the Left could gain political mileage out of this.