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Illegal boat operators thrive on Seema-Telangana border
Transportation of people illegally across the river Krishna has been thriving on the Rayalaseema-Telangana border, with the revenue and police department staff disallowing boats despite owners having permissions. The officials are allegedly showing partiality towards the Siddeswaram and Marvakonda ghats, extending support to illegal boat operators.
Atmakuru (Kurnool district): Transportation of people illegally across the river Krishna has been thriving on the Rayalaseema-Telangana border, with the revenue and police department staff disallowing boats despite owners having permissions. The officials are allegedly showing partiality towards the Siddeswaram and Marvakonda ghats, extending support to illegal boat operators.
This is creating a hole in the pockets of fishermen, who eke out their livelihood by catching fish and transporting people across the river. As a result, members of about 200 families are starving. Speaking to The Hans India, fishermen Venkataswamy, Narsimhudu and Maddileti blame the revenue and police personnel for their plight.
They said fishermen living in four mandals of Kothapalli, Pagidyala, Nandikotkur and Jupadu Bungalow abutting the Krishna river bank were most affected. Fishermen of three generations had been depending on the river for their livelihood. They said the recent boat tragedy in river Krishna had become a curse for them as the administration after banning boat rides was insisting on boat-operators to take permissions afresh.
Venkataswamy, Maddamma and Bayyanna of Sangam-eswaram alleged that the revenue department officials and the SIs were not allowing boats to operate despite having permis-sions/licences. They said former Kurnool MP Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy had shown a way for fishermen to live by allotting them Rs 5 lakh for purchasing a boat.
The Tahsildar and the SI had stopped their boats despite having necessary permission. They were helping a person near Siddeswaram to run unlicensed boats, they alleged. Some affected fishermen accused the tahsildar of stopping boats near the Muryakonda ghat in Pagidyala mandal and colluding with the operators of boats from Telangana to enter Andhra Pradesh.
They alleged that drivers of boats without life jackets and licences were being allowed, while questioning who would be held responsible if accidents occur. The fishermen claimed that the officials were collecting money from ghat organisers at Somasila, Manchalakatta and Siddeswaram thus depriving the fisher folk of their means of livelihood. They questioned as to how boats from Telangana were being allowed to operate in areas near Andhra Pradesh border.
