Though the Centre is making sincere efforts to retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka, the issue is as of now frozen, according to Union Minister of State for Transport and Highways V. K. Singh.
Speaking to media here on Sunday, Mr. Singh said nothing more had happened after whatever was negotiated by the two neighbouring nations during the ceding of Katchatheevu by India to Sri Lanka in 1974. “It is neither going to Sri Lanka, nor we are not saying that we are going to forcibly take it. We are not disturbing the agreement at all,” he said.
Stating that certain things happening between two nations would take a lot of time, he said let this issue take its own time.
India was making sincere efforts to take back the island, the former Army General said, adding India would have to wait for the Sri Lankan government to respond. “Though the present Sri Lankan government might appear not-so-friendly, at the moment it is quite friendly (with India). It is to our benefit,” he added.
When asked about the recent alleged attack on Tamil fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, the Minister said things had changed a lot in recent years. “Earlier, the Sri Lankan government would not release the boats of Indian fishermen seized by its navy. But, now most of the boats have been released,” he said.
It was agreed that the Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries should meet once in six months to resolve the issues between the two nations. However, the problem was in the use of bottom trawling by some of the Indian fishermen which would finish off marine life. The Indian government had so far spent ₹6,000 crore towards providing incentives to encourage fishermen to go for deep sea fishing, he said.