Boat fuel subsidy only a pittance, claim Kumari fishers

Kanniyakumari with 42 coastal hamlets, has a total fleet of 2,387 mechanised boats, including 837 registered and 1,550 unregistered boats. Besides, 8,000 country rafts ply along the coast. However, only 20 mechanised boat operators, that too from Thoothur, had been availing diesel subsidy and still many were waiting to avail it even after submitting their applications with the Fisheries department, Fr. Churchill, general secretary of the South Asian Fishermen Fraternity, told DT Next on Sunday. Official apathy has been a part of problem as the Fisheries Department has only one Inspector of Fisheries against three sanctioned posts in the same rank, he said.

“While each of the mechanised boat consumes an average of about 7,000 litres of diesel in a month, diesel subsidy can only be availed for 1,500 litres during the period. Despite incurring huge sums for 1,600 litres of kerosene for a motorised country raft, only 250 litres of subsidised kerosene is provided,” an aggrieved Nicholas from Colachel, who had been waiting for over one-and-a-half-years to avail the subsidy, said.

Those country boat fishermen relying on kerosene as fuel are now facing yet another issue as they have been told to approach banks to remit payment of Rs. 55 per litre against the existing practice of making such payments in the bunk itself, Jerald from Mandaikadu Pudur said. The price had also shot to Rs.55 a litre from Rs. 25, he said.

However, sources from the Fisheries department said many fishermen had not devoted any time to apply and avail the fuel subsidy. But of late, fishermen are showing interest in availing the subsidy after submitting applications at the Thengapattanam harbour. Every mechanised boat operator is entitled to 18,000 litres of subsidised diesel per year and 300 litres of kerosene for a country boat operator every month, sources said.