Boat operators warn of stir

Visakhapatnam: Members of the Andhra Pradesh Mechanised Fishing Boat Operators Association (APMFBOA) and Visakha Dolphin Boat Operators Welfare Association (VDBWA) said that  they cannot operate the boats from the coming season unless the government reimburses the sales tax amount on the present market rate of diesel of Rs 75.59 per litre.

After lifting the 60-day ban on fishing in the Bay of Bengal, the boat operators are supposed to kick-start fishing activities from June 15 onwards. However, with the steep hike in diesel rates, they said that they were finding it difficult to operate the boats. 

The state government was giving a subsidy of Rs 6.03 on diesel  taking into consideration the old diesel price of Rs 38 per litre, lamented president of APMFBO APC Appa Rao while speaking to The Hans India here on Friday. 

He said that the amount on the subsidy on each litre of diesel should be increased proportionally with the corresponding increase in the price of diesel which is now Rs 75.59.      

He said that there were 700 mechanised fishing boats operating from the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour and 16 families have been earning their livelihood through fishing directly and indirectly.

If the government does not consider the request, reimbursement of sales tax exemption amount on the present market price of diesel of Rs.75.59, thousands of fishermen families would badly be affected, president of VDBWA Ch Satyanarayana Murthy said. He said that both the unions wrote a letter to the state government urging it to consider their request.