There has been a mixed reaction from fishermen associations to the announcement by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin that the State government will give ₹5 lakh for mechanised boats and ₹1.5 Lakh for country craft seized by Sri Lankan Navy.
While the Rameswaram All Mechanised Boat Fishermen’s Association has thankedthe Chief Minister, the District Country Craft Fishermen Welfare Association has demanded an increase in compensation for their boats to ₹5 lakh.
Representatives of the mechanised fishermen association had met the Chief Minister in Chennai recently in the presence of DMK MLA Kadhar Batcha Muthuramalingam and Minister for Fisheries Anitha R. Radhakrishnan.
The association demanded compensation for mechanised boats seized by the Sri Lankan Navy but could not be salvaged back to India.It also sought relief for a mechanised boat belonging to Vasthiyan of Thangachimadam that sank in high seas after it was hit by a Sri Lankan Naval ship on Friday. Besides, it wanted the bank loan obtained by fishermen to buy deep sea fishing boats waived off.
Meanwhile, country craft fishermen association president S.P. Rayappan handed over a memorandum to Thoothukudi MP K. Kanimozhi on Saturday. The association thanked the State government for announcement of compensation.
It said the cost of the boat, motor, fishing net and other paraphernalia was around ₹10 lakh to ₹15 lakh depending upon the size of the craft. Hence, the compensation announced by the Chief Minister for country craft should be increased to ₹5 lakh.
Mr. Rayappan said the association members wanted to meet the Chief Minister to impress upon him their demands.