The Hindu : Front Page : State plans massive sanitation drive

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Thursday, Oct 05, 2006
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State plans massive sanitation drive

Special Correspondent

To conduct week-long campaign

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Spurred by the alarming death toll on account of chikugunya, political parties have decided to join forces and leverage the energies of institutions and groups at all levels to mount a week-long sanitation campaign beginning Friday to check the spread of the disease.

The campaign would get under way almost immediately and could culminate in declaration of Kerala as `garbage-free' on October 13. The decision to launch the campaign was the highlight of an all-party meeting convened by the Government here on Wednesday evening after some tough sparring on the floor of the Assembly earlier in the day. The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and attended by Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy, among others, was told that as many as 42,850 persons had contracted the disease, which originated in Mauritius in December-January and spread to Kerala, mainly on account of the State's failure to anticipate the magnitude of the problem and take preventive measures.

The disease has so far claimed 75 lives in the State and over 4,700 persons were still undergoing treatment with suspected chikungunya in the affected districts.

Cabinet decisions

Meeting shortly before the all-party meeting, the State Cabinet decided to allot Rs.1 crore to the various affected districts and the health authorities to check the spread of the disease.

Of the total amount, Rs. 20 lakh would be spent on new fogging machines and Rs.10 lakh each would be given to ayurveda and homoeo authorities and Rs.5 lakh for the Director of Health Services, Mr. Achuthanandan told journalists after the Cabinet meeting.

The Cabinet also decided to conduct a special lottery to replenish the funds in the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund.

The Cabinet further decided to explore the possibility of suing the company that manufactures Endosulfan as had been done by the Bhopal gas leak victims.

It was also decided to constitute a new Jail Review Committee, to be chaired by a High Court judge, to look into the tenure of prisoners and their wages besides the condition of prison inmates in the State.

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