Kerala - Alappuzha   

Aid for coir workers

Staff Reporter

Rs. 20 lakh for chikungunya victims

ALAPPUZHA: The Kerala Coir Workers' Welfare Fund Board will provide financial aid to its coir-worker members affected by chikungunya, chairman of the Board K.K. Ganeshan has said.

At a press conference here on Tuesday, Mr. Ganeshan and chief executive of the Board S. Wahid said those who received treatment from Government hospitals as inpatients would get Rs. 300 and outpatients Rs. 150. He said the Board had earmarked more than Rs. 20 lakh for the purpose and distribution of aid would begin on October 23.

Mr. Ganeshan said Minister for Coir G. Sudhakaran had announced the programme in the Assembly. The distribution of aid would be held in all panchayats in the State on October 23, he said.

The staff of the Board had decided to contribute a day's wages towards chikungunya relief operations. The amount would be utilised to buy mosquito nets, said Mr. Ganeshan.

He pointed out that a majority of people affected by chikungunya in Cherthala and Ambalappuzha taluks were coir workers. The epidemic had pushed their families into dire straits as most of them could not work.

He said the financial aid of the Board was in addition to that declared by the State Government.

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Aid for coir workers

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