Fishermen launch stir demanding Scheduled Tribe status

Srikakulam: Both marine and inland fishermen are demanding reservations under the Scheduled Tribe category as they are presently under the BC category. The fishermen ST category achievement committee launched a relay hunger strike in front of Collectorate three days ago.

On Wednesday, YSRCP regional coordinator Dharmana Prasada Rao paid a visit to the hunger strike camp and expressed his party’s support to the movement. Speaking on the occasion, he lashed out at the TDP government for neglecting fishermen and failing to fulfill the promises made to the after coming to power in 2014.

The YSRCP leader recalled that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu gave an assurance to them that he would fight for their cause and ensure that they get ST status before elections but left them in the lurch after coming to power.

Dhramana said that YSRCP would extend its support to fishermen for their lawful demands and try to solve them if it was voted to power in the 2019 general elections.

He said that the YSRCP president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has already made a promise that the fishermen community would also be allotted one Assembly seat in each district in next elections. YSRCP leaders, MV Padmavathi, YV Suryanarayana, A Suribabu, M Ravi, Dr. Pydi Maheswara Rao, M Swaroop accompanied Dharmana.