Shreyas H S
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Jun 29: Reluctance to act on the alleged discrepancies in the distribution of ID cards to Endosulfan victims by the health and family welfare department (HFWD) has now forced the victims deprived of ID cards to write letters to the amicus curiae, Vaishali Hegde, appointed by the high court of Karnataka.
Daijiworld had earlier reported on the discrepancies in the distribution of ID cards and brought the same to the notice of district health and family welfare officer, H S Shivkumar and to the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, A B Ibrahim. However, top bureaucrats neglected the issue and failed to initiate swift measures to rectify the irregularities. Till date, 40% of the Endosulfan victims have not recieved the cards.
During the last hearing on June 23, the division bench of the high court headed by Justice Waghela had asked to report the essential facts, while coming down heavily on the health and family welfare department. It is learnt from the reliable sources from the high court that principal secretary to the health and family welfare department, Shivashilam, had produced inaccurate facts to the court.
The activists fighting since two decades to bring justice for the victims opine Endo victims are now faced with such hard times due to the callous attitude of the top level bureaucrats.
According to Shridhar Gowda, an activist from Endo Virodhi Horata Samiti, Kokkada, the deputy commissioner, nodal officer, Dr Arun Kumar and health officer of DK showed ignorant attitude towards the victims after the visit of principal secretary to the health and family welfare department Shivashilam.
"We have decided to write the letters to the amicus curiae and to the HFWD," he said.
He said he had received as many as eight letters from across the district within two days and his mobile phone was flooded with calls. This could be the last option to report to the high court which recently directed the amicus curiae to submit the essential information. The victims who had failed to receive the ID cards till date will directly apprise the court of their appalling condition, he said.
Udupi-based Human Rights Protection Foundation president Ravindranath Shanbhag said that there seemed to be lack of communication between the district administration and the activists. The visit by the principal secretary had brought to fore the apathy of the district-level officials, he said, adding that the two decades of fight had turned many against the government.
He contented that 'arrogant' attitude of the HFWD principal secretary might have influenced the bureaucrats in the twin districts.