Plea to support fishers in no-hunting period

Ongole: Andhra Pradesh BC Sankshema Sangham president Kesana Shankara Rao demanded that the state government should support the 2.5 lakh fishermen in the nine coastal districts of the state, who were dependent on the fishing in Bay of Bengal in the fishing holiday period. Speaking to the media here on Sunday, Shankara Rao said that the government issued a GO No 86 on March 19, announcing fishing holiday for 61 days from April 15.

In these days, he said that the fishermen were losing livelihood, but the government was reluctant in offering help to them. He said that the government was earning about Rs 9000 crore on the fishing every year, but is showing discrimination on the fishermen. He said that the government was not increasing their allowance for the past two months even after making a number of representations.

He demanded that the government should raise the allowance from Rs 4000 to Rs 10000 based on the present circumstances and implement it to all fishermen irrespective of the number of fishermen in a household. He said that the neighboring states like Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry are giving rice bags also along with the monetary support to the fishermen but our government was showing discrimination towards them.

He said that the government is trying to make money on the coastal line in the name of tourism projects and polluting industries but neglecting the welfare of fishermen dependent on the sea.

BC Sankshema Sangham district president Goli Tirupati Rao, legal advisor Shaik Ajeez, treasurer Pendyala Narayana, state youth division president Kummari Kranthi Kumar and others were present.