The Hindu : Endosulfan: VS call to disband probe panel

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 10, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Endosulfan: VS call to disband probe panel

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Jan. 9. The Leader of the Opposition, V. S. Achuthanandan, has demanded disbanding of the Central expert committee probing the health problems relating to Endosulfan poisoning among the people in Kasaragod district for being partisan and attempting to tamper with evidence in favour of the pesticide industry.

In a strongly worded letter to the Union Agriculture Minister, Ajith Singh, the Opposition Leader alleged that the committee, headed by O. P. Dubey, Assistant Director General (Plant Protection) in the Indian Council for Agriculture Research, had given representation to the pesticide industry, while completely ignoring the aggrieved community in Kasaragod.

He said that in its earlier meetings convened by the Registration Committee on Pesticides in New Delhi, the representatives from the pesticide industry and officials of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala, were only invited.

He said that the Dubey committee had visited Kasaragod in August 2002, to make an on the spot assessment of the impact of Endosulfan poisoning in the district. At the time itself, serious complaints were raised regarding the totally partisan and biased approach of the committee towards the pesticide industry. During its visit, the committee did not bother to consult the people's representatives of either the State Assembly or the local bodies.

He said that the committee had bypassed the local affected community at that time also. He said that the committee held secret discussions with the PCK officials. He alleged that Mr Dubey's statement at a press conference that the problems faced by the local people might not be due to endosulfan spraying, only exposed its partisan positions. Mr. Achuthanandan said he had written a letter to C. R. Hazra, chairman of the Registration Committee in August 2002, requesting him to recall the expert committee and reconstitute it so that it would be truly representative by including all stakeholders.

He said that the committee was once again on a visit to Kasaragod and has been going around humiliating and harassing the hundreds of poor victims of Endosulfan spraying.

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