Fishermen waiting for government to fulfil promises

For AIADMK, fishermen are the biggest vote bank. Though many political parties in the past had tried to woo them only the AIADMK had succeeded in building confidence in them. AIADMK in the past, to retain the fishermen vote bank, had made towering promises during their electoral campaigns and 2016 was no different. 

Some of them include building fish jetties, to give importance to inland fishing, building separate houses for fishermen, to provide subsidy for mechanised boats, to setup cold storage units to store fishes, to reinstate the fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen at Katchtheevu, to protect fishermen from the attack of Sri Lankan Navy, to increase the compensation amount during the fishing ban period to Rs 5,000 and so on. 

Fishermen claim that none of the schemes were implemented so far due to political chaos but they expect the new government to take it up on a serious note. Maniyarasu, a fisherman from Rameswaram, said the foremost problem is attack by Sri Lankan Navy. It has become intense that they are no longer able to fish peacefully in International waters. 

Arulandham, Founder, Alliance For Releasing Innocent Fishermen, who had been representing the fishermen problem for decades, claimed that governments should focus on permanent solution in the Katchtheevu issue and only then attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen would come to an end. 

Dharmapichai, President, Mechanised Boat Labourers Association, Thoothukudi, said that the long term demand of the fishermen is to increase the compensation amount during the fishing ban period from Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000. The AIADMK had promised to increase the amount to Rs 5,000. As the fishing ban period is about to commence in April the fishermen expect this to be implemented. 

But officials of Fisheries Department said the state government is providing 50 percentage compensation for mechanised boats to the tune of Rs 30 lakhs per boat. 

In the past 35 fish jetties were constructed and seven fishing harboures were renovated to give fishermen better facilities asserted the official.