THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A group of dissatisfied fishermen, unhappy with the compensation package related to the Vizhinjam port project, obstructed the entry of Ports Minister Ahmed Devarkovil during an aid distribution event in Kovalam on Wednesday. The fishermen, affiliated with Thekkumbagam Jamaat in Vizhinjam, alleged discrimination in aid distribution and staged a protest outside the venue. The minister could only enter the venue after the police used force to disperse the protestors. No case was registered in connection with the incident.
The fishermen expressed their intention to escalate the protest in the coming days, citing dissatisfaction with the compensation package. They claimed that during the late Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s tenure, 336 people were on the list, with only 120 receiving Rs 2 lakh each as compensation for livelihood loss due to the port project. However, they argue that over 1500 fishermen are eligible for compensation.
The aid distribution event aimed to provide Rs 2.22 crore as compensation for shore seine workers who lost their jobs due to the construction of the Vizhinjam port. Earlier, the fishermen had conveyed their discontent about discrimination in the compensation package to Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian during his visit to Thekkumbhagam in Vizhinjam last week.
Ports Minister Ahmed Devarkovil assured that all deserving beneficiaries affected by the Vizhinjam port project would receive compensation. He deemed the protest by a section of fishermen unfortunate and explained that the government decided to compensate those who lost their jobs before October 2015 due to the port project. The beneficiary list was prepared by the Livelihood Impact Assessment Committee, headed by RDO, after a thorough examination of applications.
In 2016, the government distributed Rs 2 lakh each to around 126 beneficiaries who became partially unemployed due to the project. Despite this, some fishermen submitted new applications seeking compensation, and the committee, led by the district collector, deemed them ineligible. Recently, the fishermen approached the Minister for Fisheries, resubmitted their applications, and the fisheries minister instructed the Collector and Vizhinjam Port officials to review the applications. The minister criticised the Wednesday protest as inappropriate, emphasising the LDF government’s policy to protect those who lose their livelihoods due to development projects.
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