THOOTHUKUDI: Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi while addressing the parliament, urged the union government to find a solution for the Sri Lankan navy's frequent arrests of Tamil fishermen and confiscation of their boats.
Addressing the Lok Sabha speaker, Kanimozhi charged that the Sri Lankan navy has confiscated as many as 27 mechanised vessels belonging to Tamil people in 2024 alone. She added that nearly 177 Indian boats in their custody for the past many years have been nationalised.
"Even yesterday, two boats belonging to Thoothukudi's Tharuvaikulam fishing harbour were confiscated by the Lankan navy, and 22 fishermen were arrested", Kanimozhi said.
Kanimozhi appealed to the speaker to find a solution to save Tamil fishermen who were continuously enduring the torture of the Lankan navy, she said.
The parliamentarian also pointed out the existing delay in releasing crop insurance relief.
"One of the important issues pointed out in the standing committee on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, is procrastination in the settlement of insurance claims to farmers, and the persisting complications in obtaining claims", Kanimozhi said.
"In my constituency, Thoothukudi, farmers lost their crops and yields during the unprecedented rains in December 2023. Despite insuring the crops, farmers are yet to get the insurance claims even after seven months," she added.
Kanimozhi further pointed out the reply of the union agriculture minister in which no proposals to constitute a committee of experts to simplify crop insurance schemes were announced.
"When insurance claims are released based on district-wise damages, farmers suffering crop loss would not get adequate relief. Hence, it should be simplified further," Kanimozhi said while appealing to the agriculture minister to reconsider constituting a committee of experts and demanding a reply on the concerns of Thoothukudi farmers.