A Rs 2,000-crore package announced for the welfare of fishermen community five years ago in the wake of tropical cyclone Ockhi is yet to be implemented. The delay in executing the welfare measures is owing to the delay in scrutinising the package by the government.
The State had entered into an agreement with a professional management institute in Gujarat for a comprehensive study on the package two years ago. However, the institute is yet to take up the task allegedly due the non-payment of Rs 2 crore it demanded for the study.
After the Ockhi disaster during the first term of the Pinarayi Government (2016-21), an expert panel chaired by the former Chief Secretary S M Vijayanand was constituted in March 2018. The expert committee was to lead the study of problems faced by the fishermen communities and to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the implementation of the Ockhi special package. As directed by the panel, Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) in Gujarat were engaged to carry out the preliminary study.
Based on the report from the Tata Institute, the panel unofficially issued certain recommendations. It was decided to prepare an outline for the execution after IRMA’s comprehensive study. The committee directed to prepare the DPR and implement the package after the study.
The proposal submitted by IRMA for the study was approved in principle. However, the cost to cover the expense of the study was not granted. Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Ockhi battered parts of Sri Lanka and India in 2017.