VISAKHAPATNAM: Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan on Friday distributed Rs 50,000 each to fishermen whose boats were gutted in the devastating fire that engulfed the fishing harbour in Visakhapatnam on November 19. He was given a rousing reception by the party cadre when he arrived in the city.
Later, he visited the affected jetty at the harbour and interacted with the fishermen. He told fishermen that he had come to the city to support them in their times of difficulty. “There is no political motive behind extending the aid. We have never seen fishermen as vote bank. I am very much pained that 45 boats were destroyed causing a loss of Rs 25 crore. We are providing support to the affected families with the limited resources we have,” Pawan said.
Pointing out that there is at least one jetty for every 10 kilometres in Gujarat and Kerala, he alleged that not even a single jetty in Andhra Pradesh was in a good condition. “It is frightening to visit the fishing harbour after 7 pm due to the presence of gangs,” he added.
Further, he questioned the ruling YSRC on how many jetties it has built in the last four-and-a-half years. Pawan said, “A palace was built with Rs 450 crore at Rushikonda, when the same amount could be used for building a fishing harbour to provide livelihood for hundreds of fishermen.”
Claiming that the YSRC government extended aid to the fishermen only after he announced help for them, Pawan asserted, “The present government has another three months. There will be good days for the State after four months.”
Predicting the victory of the JSP-TDP alliance in 2024, he urged the people to trust him for 10 years for a bright future.JSP PAC chairman Nadendla Manohar alleged that Pawan’s visit to Vizag was obstructed by some vested interests.