While hailing the decision of the YSR Congress Party government to enhance the compensation being given to the fish workers for loss of work during the annual ban period from ₹4,000 to ₹10,000 per head, many have appealed for considering those taking up ancillary activity for extending the benefit.
New fishing season began last month with bumper harvest of brown shrimp after end of the ban period. The payment was put on hold by the erstwhile government due to elections. Fishermen are demanding compensation also be paid to dry fish vendors, rickshaw pullers, packers and khalasis.
Budgetary allocation
Joint Director of Fisheries Koteswara Rao told The Hindu that budgetary allocation of ₹100 crore had been made for payment of revised compensation. The number of beneficiaries in the State is put at 90,000 of which 18,990 are from Visakhapatnam.
The number of beneficiaries in Visakhapatnam district, one of the leading fishing centres in the State, is nearly 16,000.
During the ban period applicable to motorised boats, observed every year for nearly two months as part of conservation to allow breeding of various fish, the compensation is given to boat crew. Initially, the government used to distribute rice at 25 kg per family, which was subsequently substituted by paying cash compensation.
“We have been demanding compensation of ₹10,000 per month in lieu of loss of livelihood for a long time and are now happy that the new government has enhanced it. The benefit should be given to those performing ancillary role,” said Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour Workers’ Union general secretary J.D. Naidu.
The people taking up ancillary activity at the fishing harbours and fishing villages are poor families.
“They find it difficult to eke out a living in lieu of loss of income suffered during the ban. Hence, they should also be given the compensation on a par with boat crew,” National Fisherfolk Forum general secretary Arjili Dasu said.