CHENNAI: Hours after interacting with the representatives of the fishermen community in Nagapattinam district on Monday, Chief Minister MK Stalin hiked the relief assistance being given for the mechanised fishing boats seized by the Sri Lankan Navy from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh. He also increased the daily assistance being given to families of fishermen who are languishing in Lankan prisons from Rs 350 to Rs 500.
Besides, the CM announced that a delegation of MPs and representatives of fishermen associations from Tamil Nadu led by Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan will be meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar soon to seek a permanent solution to problems faced by fishermen from the Lankan Navy at the earliest, besides securing the release of arrested fishermen and their boats from Lankan custody.
An official release here said various fishermen associations have been staging protests since February 28 condemning the union government which failed to take steps to secure the release of fishermen languishing in Lankan prisons and demanding a permanent solution to this issue. The fisheries minister also held talks with the fishermen’s associations in Rameswaram. In Nagapattinam district, the CM also held discussions with the representatives of the fishermen community.
The release recalled that following his meeting with the fishermen’s representatives from Ramanathapuram district on February 18, the CM had sanctioned Rs 360 crore for fulfilling their key demands including upgrading Thangachimadam fish landing centre into a fishing harbour, and improving the Kunthukal fish landing centre.