Kakinada: Raw deal to fishermen under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, fumes Nara Lokesh

Kakinada : The Jagan Mohan Reddy government has completely neglected the welfare of fishermen community in the East Godavari district and deceived them by not allocating any funds for their welfare, alleged TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh on Friday

As the Yuva Galam padayatra entered Kakinada district from Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema , Lokesh was received by local TDP and the Jana Sena leaders, including the former MLAs, Pilli Anantha Lakshmi and Konda Babu. At the Balayogi statue, representatives of the fishermen community from Kakinada submitted a memorandum to Lokesh in which they said that they are not being paid the subsidy and no market yards to sell the fish products.

They informed Lokesh that the youth are migrating to other states as there are no employment opportunities in the state.

Lokesh said that boats and nets were supplied to fishermen at highly subsidised prices during the TDP regime under Adarana scheme but this government has totally taken the community for a ride. Immediately after the TDP is back in power, necessary sheds will be erected to enable the fishermen to sell their products. He also promised them that a separate residential college will be established in Kakinada exclusively for the community and employment opportunities will be created for the youth.

The representatives of the Lorry Owners Association, in a memorandum, complained to him that the YSRCP government is simply looting the transport sector by imposing various kinds of taxes like Green Tax, road tax and insurance. Unnecessary fines to the tune of Rs 30,000 are being imposed on them and the lorry owners are suffering heavy losses due to these issues and also due to the steep hike in diesel prices, they told Lokesh. On top if it all, the local MLA, D Chandrasekhara Reddy, is harassing the lorry owners, they said.

Expressing concern that the transport sector is pushed into crisis by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government and the owners becoming drivers, Lokesh said that once the TDP forms the coming government the tax structure will be reviewed to bring relief to the owners. Also, involvement of politicians into lorry owners’ associations will be thoroughly checked besides lifting the restrictions on transport of farm products, he said.

The Mini-Van Association representatives also complained to Lokesh that taxes are being imposed on them indiscriminately forcing their business into heavy losses and appealed to him to review the tax structure once the TDP is back in power. He assured them that the coming TDP government will certainly resolve their problems and the roads that are damaged now will be repaired.

The AgriGold customers and agents, in a memorandum complained that justice is not being done to them by this government. Observing that AgriGold-affected are still waiting for the justice, Lokesh assured them that all their problems will be addressed by the next TDP government.

The Yuva Galam padayatra is receiving tremendous public response in Kakinada city as the people gathered in large numbers on either side of the road. The public voluntarily raised slogans like ‘psycho Povali’ (psycho should be out) and ‘Cycle Ravali’ (cycle should be back).