Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada District Endosulfan Virodhi Horata Samithi has submitted a memorandum to Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, urging the implementation of a permanent rehabilitation package for endosulfan victims.

In the memorandum, the Samithi expressed disappointment that only a few of the victims' demands have been fulfilled over the years. Many victims are bedridden and reliant on their parents for daily tasks, causing significant concern for their future, according to the Samithi.

The Samithi members highlighted that there are more than 8,000 endosulfan victims in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada districts. Currently, they receive a monthly pension ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000.

The Samithi demanded the establishment of permanent rehabilitation facilities for the victims, including the creation of a center in each district. They identified a five-acre land at Alankar in Dakshina Kannada as a suitable site and appealed to the government to take the necessary steps to open permanent rehabilitation centers in all three districts.

Furthermore, the Samithi called for an increase in the pension amount to Rs 6,000 and Rs 4,000. They also requested a monthly pension of Rs 5,000 for the parents of bedridden victims to support their livelihoods and proposed that doctors visit their homes once a week. The Samithi members suggested that the responsibility of the permanent rehabilitation centers should be entrusted to the Endosulfan Victims' Multi-purpose Cooperative Society.

Additionally, they urged the minister to submit a proposal to the central government to seek compensation for the endosulfan victims. They proposed that a minimum of Rs 5 lakh should be provided to the family in the event of an endosulfan victim's death. The Samithi President, Peer Mahammed, suggested that the permanent rehabilitation package should be named after Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.