THOOTHUKUDI: Compensating an Okhi victim’s family, collector N Venkatesh handed over a cheque of `10 lakh to J Sudha (36), wife of V Jude Fernando, who died in the cyclone that wrecked havoc in coastal Kanniyakumari coast. Despair has gripped the family as Sudha’s second son Mariabarath (18), who accompanied his father to the sea is still missing. The amount included an insurance sum of `2 lakh. The collector also assured to speed up the search operation to trace her missing son.
Sudha received cheque from the collector at his chambers on Monday. Monetary assistance for the families of deceased fishermen was sanctioned from Chief Minister’s General Relief Fund on December 9. Sub collector MS Prashanth and Joint Director (Fisheries) Amal Xavier were present.
Meanwhile, family members of Ravindran appealed to the district administration to expedite the search operation. Ravindran’s daughters, Menaga and Raishmi, of Boobalrayerpuram submitted a petition to collector N Venkatesh, urging him to trace their missing father.
“The incident left us in the lurch,” they said. While Menaga has completed her schooling, Raishmi is a B Com graduate. The girls also urged for compensation and a government job for at least one of them.
On November 29, Jude, his son Mariabarath, D Keniston, S Joseph, C Ravindran and J Jegan ventured into sea from the Colachel fishing port in Kanniyakumari district. The next day their boat was decimated and all of them reportedly drowned. Jude’s body washed ashore at Vizhinjam beach of Kerala on December 1. While Jagan managed to reach shore alive, the fate of other four fishermen is still in dark.