Chandrababu Naidu seeks restoration of fishermen rights

Mangalagiri: TDP national president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday urged Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to withdraw GO 217 and restore full fishing rights on tanks, canals and reservoirs to the fishermen societies all over the State.

In a letter sent to the Chief Minister here, Naidu stressed the need for extending financial support to the backward classes who were leading their livelihoods based on community professions and handicrafts. In the past two-and-half years, the socio-economic conditions of the BCs came under threat. The dependents on long held community professions were losing their livelihood.

Naidu said that over 16,800 BCs had lost their positions of leadership in the local bodies after their decades-long political reservations were cut down from 34 per cent to 24 per cent. The government was carrying out a lot of publicity on the corporations that had no funds and no duties. Not a single rupee of funds or loans was given to these corporations or federations in the past two-and-half years.

The TDP chief deplored that the BC sub-plan was undermined and the BCs were removed from all platforms of decision-making in the government. This was contrary to how the BCs were involved in all decisions since 1983. Subsidy loans were given to lakhs of BC youth through corporations and federations in the previous regime. The BC development and welfare were given priority under the sub plan.

Alleging a raw deal to the BC communities, Naidu asserted that their party would strongly oppose the GO 217 as it was aimed at threatening the existence of the fishing profession.