THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran will visit Kasaragod on August 11 to discuss projects for relief and rehabilitation of the victims of pesticide Endosulfan in the district.

The Chief Minister is likely to announce Rs.50,000 each as solatium to the families of victims who had died.

He will also hold a meeting of people's representatives, officials and others to discuss the implementation of a Rs.50-lakh project prepared by the District Panchayat for comprehensive relief and remediation system for the affected community.

The Agriculture Minister told mediapersons here on Thursday that the State would be seeking a permanent ban on Endosulfan in place of the temporary ban issued by the Centre.

It would also take steps to check sale and use of the pesticide in some areas of the State despite the ban. Regulation of other harmful pesticides was also being contemplated.

The Minister said that he was inquiring into the actions of officials, which had led to his telling the Assembly in a written reply that Endosulfan had caused no deaths in Kasaragod district. The inquiry would also cover how the then Agriculture Director had signed the Mayee Committee report in 2004 against the stated Government policy.

He said that the legislation for setting up the proposed Agriculture Debt Relief Commission would be introduced in the next session of the Assembly (after Onam).

The Agriculture Commission would be formed later.

The State, he said, would convey its views on the National Policy on Farmers to the Commission on Farmers within a fortnight. The State's policy on agriculture would be announced soon.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister C. Divakaran, who was with Mr. Ratnakaran, said that the Government proposed to appoint an expert committee to formulate its views on the Ninth Plan approach to Agriculture and related policies. The Ninth Plan focus was on increasing agriculture production.

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