Mangalore, August 10: Fisherman from various organisations have demanded to remove the norm of providing three per cent diesel subsidy only to those belonging to the below poverty line families at a meeting held here on Tuesday.
“If this norm is not removed we have to launch an agitation. We are incurring heavy losses due to this norm”, said Naveen Karkera from Purse Seine Boat Union.
Vasudev Boloor, General Secretary, Coastal Karnataka Fisherman Action Committee noted that diesel subsidy was for fisherman who went to deep sea for fishing. This was done by owners of deep sea trawlers whose family income was more than Rs 18000 (the limit for one to qualify to be a BPL family).
This subsidy benefits only the rich, he said. The only relief for fisherman is the exemption in the sales tax given by the state government.
CRZ
Fisherman said that the Centre was yet to consider amendments they had suggested to the CRZ guidelines. They also accused that the Centre and State government of being lethargic in preventing violations of CRZ norms. They said the government was soft on large industries that were polluting the sea.
Shashi Kumar said that the big fishes in the sea are dying because of consumption of plastics. He urged the government to strictly enforce the ban on use of plastics in the sea and along the coastline.
The fishermen expressed concern over 15 fishing harbors which were in a poor state. They also expressed their distress over the poor conditions of the fish markets in the coastal region.
They demanded a strict enforcement of CRZ norms and better conditions of fishing harbors and fish markets along the coastal region.
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