Nine endosulfan victims’ caretakers, led by Revathy of Kokkada, submitted a memorandum with 35 signatures to the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S on Wednesday.
They demanded that the city-based Seva Bharathi must continue running the daycare centre for endosulfan victims at Kokkada in Beltangady taluk.
This is the second such appeal to DC. The District Health and Family Welfare Department awarded the contract for running endosulfan victims’ daycare centres in Kokkada and Koila (in Puttur taluk) to Seon Ashram Trust in Gandibagailu near Ujire.
Earlier appeal
On Saturday, parents and caretakers of endosulfan victims from Koila had submitted a memorandum to DC and opposed the transfer of the daycare centre to Seon Ashram.
Revathy said that the daycare centre in Kokkada had improved after it was entrusted to Seva Bharati in 2017. The inmates’ health also improved. Few inmates even attended and passed SSLC and PUC examinations.
The memorandum addressed to DC said that the initiatives like annual day celebrations, picnics on beaches, sports meet held by Seva Bharati had changed people’s view of endosulfan victims.
‘Inconsolable’
Revathy said many inmates were inconsolable on learning that their teachers would be replaced by new ones appointed by Seon Ashram Trust.
“Other parents and I have decided not to send our children to the daycare centre if it was entrusted to Seon,” Revathy stressed
DC Sasikanth Senthil reportedly assured the caretakers that he would reconsider their request. The parents and caretakers later met Beltangady MLA Harish Punja and apprised him of the developments at the daycare centres.
‘Forever indebted’
A few days ago, Puttur Block Education Office had organised a programme to felicitate endosulfan victims Manoj and Revathy, inmates of Koila daycare centre for endosulfan victims. They have passed SSLC examinations with distinction. Revathy, Manoj’s mother could not hold back her tears.
Revathy recollected how her son was confined to the house as no school would admit him. “But Seva Bharathi convinced us and admitted my son at the centre,” she said adding, that she was ‘forever indebted’ to the teachers and the institution.