Keys of houses built by DYFI handed over to victims
Kasargod: Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has accused the Central and State governments of shying away from providing relief and rehabilitation packages to endosulfan victims in the district.
Instead of implementing the National Human Rights Commission-recommended relief and rehabilitation packages, both the Central and State governments were more keen on safeguarding the interests of the pesticide companies, CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said.
Mr. Balakrishnan was addressing a gathering after inaugurating a function at Bovikanam, near here, to hand over the keys of 15 houses built by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) as part of its ‘Athijeevanam’ programme for endosulfan victims in the district.
Other than making unfulfilled assurances, the United Democratic Front government led by Oommen Chandy had not done anything for the victims, Mr. Balakrishnan, who is also the Deputy Leader of Opposition, said.
The UDF government could not provide any more relief to the victims than what had been given by the previous LDF government during whose tenure free ration and medical facilities were implemented for endosulfan victims and their families, he said.
He called upon DYFI activists to join hands to ensure continued support to the affected families. .
Film director Lal Jose handed over the first instalment of financial assistance to build a house to Jisha Mathew, a young endosulfan victim, at the function.