Affidavit on Kasaragod cell must be filed in two weeks

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the State government to file an affidavit clarifying the points raised by the Kasaragod District Collector regarding the formation of a Kasaragod district-level cell for coordinating rehabilitation and welfare measures of endosulfan victims. The Bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice K. Vinod Chandran also directed the government to inform it the number of meetings held by the district-level cell after its formation.

A legal requirement for reduction targets is apparently ignored, as ministers' fig leaf for delaying EU-wide action is blown away by their own chief scientist

With mothers of endosulfan-affected people joining a fast here on Monday, the protest demanding the quick implementation of a rehabilitation package for the victims is expected to intensify. The agitators plan to block the National Highway.

As the fast entered the seventh day on Sunday, two activists became critically ill. Doctors advised the leaders to shift them to hospital. The Endosulfan Peedhitha Janakeeya Munnani, a people’s front for the victims, is leading the protest.

A campaign to banish pesticides linked to the fall in bee populations appears to be gathering pace after at least five garden centre chains agreed to remove products blamed for the decline.

Kochi: Steps have been taken to provide compensation to endosulfan victims as recommended by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the state government has informed the high court. The government’s submission was in response to a November 28, 2012, directive of the high court.

The state said in an affidavit that it was not against implementing all the recommendations of the NHRC on the compensation issue. The government’s priority has been the health and security of the people, which led to the decision to ban endosulfan, N Nandakumar, secretary of health and family welfare department, said in the affidavit.

The second phase of the indefinite hunger strike launched in Kasaragod seeking comprehensive rehabilitation package for hundreds of Endosulfan victims in the district entered the third day on Wednesday.

Subhash Cheemeni and P. Krishnan, ‘Endosulfan Peedhitha Janakeeya Munnani’ activists, are on indefinite hunger strike from February 18. Veteran journalist B. R. P. Bhaskar inaugurated the agitation on Monday.

About 40 to 54 per cent of the daily consumed foods including fish, milk and baby foods are found adulterated and poisonous and the adulteration is increasing for the last couple of years.

Victims’ forum relaunches hunger strike after six months

The laxity of the government in providing relief and rehabilitation to hapless endosulfan victims in the district is forcing them to relaunch the indefinite hunger strike after six months, senior journalist B.R.P. Bhaskar has said. He was inaugurating the relay hunger strike spearheaded by the Endosulfan Peeditha Janakeeya Munnani (EPJM) on the new bus station premises here on Monday.

Demand for implementation of relief package

Accusing the government of “moving slow” on its promise to disburse the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)-assured compensation and of omitting a few identified endosulfan victims from the list of persons to be compensated, yet another indefinite relay hunger strike will begin here from February 18. Social and cultural activists and the mothers of the victims will take part in the agitation, spearheaded by the Endosulfan Peedhitha Janakeeya Munnani in their bid to force the government to swiftly implement the NHRC-suggested rehabilitation package, Munnani convener Ambalathara Kunhikrishnan said.

The Sri Lankan government plans to introduce stringent new laws to control the usage of pesticides and chemical fertilizer as the indiscriminate usage of agrochemicals is considered as a major caus