VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Seediri Appalaraju and YSR Congress Rajya Sabha member Mopidevi Venkataramana lashed out at Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan for his comments on GO 217.
Addressing the media at two different places, they ridiculed the actor-turned-politician for his "ignorance" of the facts, and tearing the GO copy without knowing what it was meant for. They said tnhat the GO is no way related to the fishermen going in the sea for a livelihood.
"The GO was issued to safeguard the interests of the fishermen community on inland water bodies. Earlier, in the name of fishermen, those in power used to corner the benefits from the inland water bodies and the fishermen would not get even a single rupee. Now, it will not be the case," the minister said.
MP Mopidevi Venkataramana said those who attended Pawan Kalyan's meeting were not fishermen, but his fans. If those who attended were really from the fishermen community, they would have explained the facts to Pawan Kalyan.
Dismissing the public meeting of Janasena in Narasapuram on Sunday as a "pre-release function" of the upcoming movie of the Power Star, the YSRC leaders said the issue of GO 217 was used as a “publicity stunt” by the actor-politician.
The GO was issued so that every member of a fishermen society stands to benefit up to `15,000 through open auction of the inland water bodies. As per the GO, as many as 27 reservoirs in Nellore district were put for public auction as a pilot project.