Fishers protest for ST status

Ongole: The fishermen community JAC in the Prakasam district staged a protest in front of the Collectorate on Friday, demanding that the government provide ST category reservation to them and take severe action on those people who attacked the fishermen in Srikakulam district.

The community leader, G Govardhana Rao said that the fishermen had every right to consider them as scheduled tribe. He said that the fishermen also moves from one area to another area along the water source in search of food and catching fish like any other tribe in the STs. It was the time to provide the ST status to the fishermen community and give them the opportunity to educate and settle in life, he added.

R Krishna, another leader from the community said that the government used to provide 50 percent subsidy to the loans under various departments. But due to the pressure from others, it reduced the subsidy to 40 percent now. It was not fair on its part to do injustice to a poor community and they demand the government to do justice by increasing the subsidy to 90 percent for the loans and announce the ST status to the fishermen community, he added.