Vizianagaram: Fishermen welfare scheme comes as boon to 25,000

Vizianagaram: Fishermen are facing difficult times as they have lost income. They have been badly affected by the both lockdown and annual fishing holiday announced by the government.

Around 25,000 firshermen from Mukkam, Chepala Kancheru, Tippalavalasa, China Kondrajupalem, Chidipallipeta villages under Bhogapuram, Pusapatirega mandals are depending on fishing as a profession. The fishermen used to go into sea with either mechanised boats or country boats early in the morning and bring some fish, prawns or crabs. The women had been selling them in the villages here. If the product is huge in quantity, they would be exported to Visakhapatnam and some other areas. The district has 700 country boats and 150 fibre mechanised boats. But all of them are now brought to shore and kept idle as fishing holiday is being implemented between April 15 and to June 15. per day. Under these circumstances, Matsyakara Bharosa scheme has come as a boon to the fishermen. They were given Rs 10,000 each under the scheme. As many as 2,772 fishermen were covered under the scheme.

K Suryalatha, Assistant Director of Fisheries said, "We are supporting their families by giving Rs 10,000 to each family. Even the government is giving ration and other provisions free of cost."