Fishing Communities likely to get survival support from the government
Thursday, 27th August 2020
Fishing communities and boat owners in the state of Maharashtra are likely to receive one-time financial compensation amounting to a maximum of Rs 30, 000. The Uddhav Thackeray Government of Maharashtra has announced a relief package for the community this Wednesday to help them cope with the losses suffered across the last few years and especially during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Under this relief package, the licensed owners of fishing boats may be entitled for receiving a cash dole-out ranging from Rs 5,000-Rs 20,000. The amount they are entitled to receive will depend on the type of fishing boat they own and the nature of fishing they practice. The Maharashtra government has also declared Rs 3000 as one-time grant to allow the fish sellers acquire ice boxes.
Government stats reveal that about 76,345 households in Maharashtra are dependent directly and chiefly on fishing, while another 9.93 lakh households draw indirect benefits from it. The government of the state has opined that this special relief package is likely to benefit nearly 54,573 households in the state at a price of about Rs 65 crore to the exchequer of the state.
Aslam Shaikh, the State Fisheries Minister and a Congress party member commented: “The government has tried to extend some relief to fishing community facing challenges due to mounting losses.”
While offering details about the package, he said that Maharashtra has a total of 19,703 licensed boats for fishing out of which, 18,009 are mechanized boats and 1,564 are non-mechanized/low-end mechanized running on just 1 or 2 cylinder engines. One-time assistance of Rs 10, 000 per head for the traditional fishers, Rs 20, 000 per head for fishers who use non-mechanized/low-end mechanized fishing boats, Rs 30, 000 per head for fishers who use 3 or 4 cylinder driven boats, and Rs 40, 000 for fishers who use high powdered, 6 cylinder driven boats have been announced by the Maharashtra government.
The Maharashtra Machimaar Kruti Samiti (MMKS), an apex body representing the state’s fishermen communities had written a letter to the government of the state complaining about the survival crisis many fishing families in the state are facing. Kiran Koli, the general secretary of the MMKS said while welcoming the government’s announcement of the package that the package should have been enhanced and widened further.
“The fishing sector is in a shambles. There has already been a significant dip in the catch due to increased water pollution, but repeated tropical cyclonic events, erratic rainfall pattern, choppy seas, and restrictions on venturing into the sea due to seismic surveys, terribly hit peak season fishing in 2019-20. The damage caused to boats during Cyclone Nisarga and lockdown has worsened matters,” Koli added.
Source: Indian Express