VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Marketing and Fisheries Mopidevi Venkataramana hit out at the TDP for taking credit for the release of 22 fishermen belonging to North Andhra from Pakistan jails.
He said it was due to efforts of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy they have been released and showed various communications (letters and representations) with the Centre in that regard.
Addressing the media, the minister said that all the 20 fishermen will enter India through Wagah border on January 6 and the remaining two will be released after a month. The delay was due to a lack of proper information, he said. Out of the 22 fishermen, 15 are from Srikakulam, five from Vizianagaram and five from East Godavari district. The two fishermen, who are to be released later, hail from East Godavari.
“During his Padyatra, when the families of those fishermen sought the help of Jagan, he assured them that every effort would be made to get them released. As promised, soon after he took charge as the Chief Minister, he pursued the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi. He also made Rajya Sabha member Vijayasai Reddy pursue the matter,” he said.
Stating that the previous TDP government did nothing to get the fishermen released, the minister said that when he learnt that the families of the fishermen were in dire straits, the Chief Minister had sanctioned an amount of `4,500 to each family which is being paid every month. “Our government is sincere in taking care of the welfare of fishermen community and in that direction have even launched YSR Matyskara Nestam and provided `10,000 to fishermen engaged in deep-sea fishing during the ban period,” he said.