NAGAPATTINAM: Although TVK made several promises to the fishing community in the run-up to the elections, its maiden budget fulfilled only one of them – increasing lean fishing period assistance for traditional fisher families from Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000.
The budget earmarked Rs 135 crore for the scheme to benefit 1.93 lakh traditional fishermen families. The announcements were largely confined to traditional fishermen, and there were no measures for mechanised boat and trawler owners.
As opposed to its election promise of providing fishermen interest-free loans to purchase deep-sea fishing boats, the government allocated Rs 12 crore towards interest subsidies for traditional fishermen buying such vessels to encourage deep-sea fishing.
Fishermen also expressed disappointment over the absence of measures to address the recurring Indo-Sri Lankan fishermen conflict or increase the fuel subsidy. “We welcome the increase in the lean fishing period assistance, but the budget is silent on the Indo-Sri Lankan fishermen issue, which remains our biggest concern,” said RMP Rajendra Nattar of the Indian National Fishermen Union. He said around 200 boats remain in Sri Lankan custody, and the government hasn’t spoken about it.
Tamil Nadu Fishermen Federation general secretary A. Tajudeen pointed out that TVK manifesto promised to increase the monthly diesel subsidy limit from 1,900 litres to 3,500 litres and raise the fishing ban-period assistance from Rs 8,000 to Rs 20,000. “We were expecting the promises would be fulfilled, but are disappointed,” he said.
Fishermen said increasing the subsidised diesel limit would have significantly benefited mechanised boat and trawler operators amid rising fuel costs and uncertainty over diesel supplies.
M Karnan, a fisherman from Nagapattinam, said fishermen are currently buying diesel from retail outlets for around Rs 102/litre, compared with about Rs 92 before the price rise triggered by the conflict in West Asia. He said subsidised diesel costs around Rs 83/litre, and increasing the monthly subsidised quota to 3,500 litres would significantly reduce operating costs.
“The rising fuel price has added roughly Rs 60,000 to the cost of each trip as a trawler uses around 5,000 to 6,000 litres of diesel for a four-to-five-day trip,” said S Selladurai of Akkaraipettai.
Tajudeen further said fishermen also expected announcement on the hook-and-line fishing harbour at Mallipattinam in Thanjavur. “Surveys have been completed, and all arrangements are in place. We expected fund allocation in the budget, but there was none. We request the government to implement the project this year,” he said.
Fishermen also expressed disappointment that the Budget made no announcement on the promised construction of 200 km of sea erosion protection structures across vulnerable coastal districts, including Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Ramanathapuram and Kanniyakumari, or on housing schemes for the fishing community.
