Mangaluru: Finally, the demands of parents and guardians of endosulfan victims have been met as the district Health and Family Welfare Department has decided to run the day-care centre for endosulfan victims at Kokkada in Belthangady taluk.
It can be noted that the parents and guardians of endosulfan victims had been demanding to withdraw the charge of the day care centre from the ‘Seon Ashram’, which has been running the day-care centre for a very long time now.
They had met then Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil thrice and submitted a memorandum demanding handing over of the centre to either the social welfare department or to Mangaluru-based Seva Bharathi.
The parents had also decided to undertake a fast-unto-death if the contract awarded to ‘Seon Ashram’ was not withdrawn by the district administration. Though there was a demand from the parents of endosulfan victims to run the day-care centre by the social welfare department, it is said that social welfare department refused to take the responsibility and hence the health department itself had taken the charge. The officials of the health department took possession of the building from Seon Ashram two days ago.
As the Health Department would run the centre, three separate tenders have been floated a couple of days ago. Meanwhile, the department had barred non-government organisations from participating in the tender process. Successful agencies would be awarded the contracts to run the transport, housekeeping and cooking services at the centre. It is similar to running government hospitals and outsourcing peripheral services.
However, the day care centre for endosulfan victims at Koila will be run by Seon Ashram and it is likely to be reopened within 10 days.
