Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Nov 15: Beltangady MLA Harish Poonja took officials to task during the meeting organised by the assurances committee of the legislative council with regard to providing compensation to endosulfan victims and their families. The meeting was held at the office of the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannnada district here on Wednesday November 14.
Poonja was severely critical of the officials over denial of facilities to people suffering from the after-effects of endosulfan use, and their inability to reach out to the beneficiaries, and not providing health cards of the government to people belonging to poor classes. He alleged that there is a lobby of health officials relating to this issue. He complained about these irregularities to the chairman of assurances committee, K C Kondaiah.
Officials were seen expressing themselves in support to the committee. They were naturally irked by the complaints made by Harish Poonja against them. Poonja told them that he was standing for the poor, and questioned them about their support to the committee as it is the duty of the officials to stand up to the poor.
Later, at the press conference, the committee announced its decision to collect samples of water from open wells and borewells located in 92 affected villages in order to test them to find out whether any traces of endosulfan are still present in the water.
The committee visited the endosulfan affected villages to analyse the situation. MLA Harish Poonja complained that eight super specialty hospitals have been failing to provide proper treatment to endosulfan patients despite the fact that the government has signed memorandum of understanding with these hospitals.
Kondaiah urged the deputy commissioner Sasikanth Senthil, to resolve the issues after calling a meeting with the participation of all the hospitals.
Committee chairman, Kondaiah, said," three districts in the state have a considerable number of people suffering from endosulfan use, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada. Udupi and Uttara Kannada district have failed to provide necessary information to the committee with regard to the endosulfan patients in this respective districts.
Committee members, Harish Kumar, Arun, Gopala Swamy, K R Mahalaxmi and others were present.