Tirunelveli District Inland Fishermen Association members announced that they would boycott the local body elections as the district administration and the State government have not taken any positive action on their genuine demands for fishing rights in waterbodies and compensation for the loss they suffered after Cyclone Ockhi. In a petition submitted to Collector Sandeep Nanduri on Monday, the fishermen, led by their president P. Murugesan, said the fishing rights in the irrigation tanks under the control of Public Works Department and the village panchayats in the district were being auctioned when the fishing rights in inland waterbodies in Kanniyakumari district were being given only to inland fishermen cooperative societies. When Cyclone Ockhi hit Kanniyakumari district and caused cloudburst in the Western Ghats, it triggered heavy floods in the Tamirabharani on November 30 and December 1 last. Consequently, the inland fishermen’s fishnets spread at various spots across the perennial river were washed away to cause heavy loss to the fishermen. Though officials from the Department of Fisheries inspected the spot after we narrated the damaged caused by Ockhi, no compensation has been given to the affected fishermen so far, Mr. Murugesan said. He also said no fingerling was available in the Manimuthar dam hatchery even after State Government allocated ?13.65 crore in 2016 for breeding fingerlings in six hatcheries across Tamil Nadu, including Manimuthar Dam hatchery. Consequently, the fish farmers had to rely on the private hatcheries that were charging exorbitant price for fingerlings. While the government hatchery charges ? 375 for 1,000 katla kendai’ fingerlings, the private hatcheries collected anywhere between ? 2,000 and ? 2,500. For the roghu and mirgal kendai’, the farmers have to pay ?1,000 to ? 1,200 to the private hatcheries while it costs about only ? 252 in the government hatcheries. Hence, we appeal to the State Government to ensure adequate stocking of fingerlings in the Manimuthar dam hatchery with the funds allocated by the government, Mr. Murugesan said. The petitioners also said no action had been taken on their demand for giving two-wheelers with iceboxes for the past three years. Take action’ Shanmugasundaram of Sivagiri, in his petition, alleged that three usurers from the same area had driven his family out of his house even after he had repaid to them the loan of ? 1.50 lakh with interest. Since the Sivagiri police were refusing to take action on the complaint, the Collector should instruct the police accordingly, he said.
2018, The Hindu