India to punish merchants selling endosulfan

After banning the use of the pesticide endosulfan in the state, the government has decided to punish those found selling the pesticide henceforth. Speaking to reporters in Belgaum at the weekend, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa said the government will issue a notification to the departments concerned in the next two days. The move follows reports highlighting the harmful effects of the pesticide on people’s health, the CM added. He also said the governement will write to the prime minister urging him to ban endosulfan in the country.

Responding to the agitation by the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) in various districts of Maharashtra seeking support of the Maharashtra government for its fight over the border issue, Yeddyurappa said the issue did not exist at all.

He said, both Kannadigas and Marathis were living in harmony in the border areas, and that the recently-held World Kannada Meet was testimony to that.

"There are vested interests which unnecessarily provoke some sections of people to make issues out of a non-issue,” he said.

The CM admitted to the delay in implementing the Asare Scheme which was announced after floods had wreaked havoc in the north Karnataka region in 2009.

On the “alleged” failure of government agencies in properly implementing the scheme, he said: “Yes, there has been a delay and we had to extend deadlines several times.”