Fishers happy over hike in compensation during ban

Rajamahendravaram : The NDA government to increase the compensation paid to fishermen for the 61-day fishing ban period in the joint East Godavari district. Fisheries Department officials said that the compensation will be paid soon and the list of eligible fishermen has been sent to the government. Even though the previous YSRCP government provided compensation of Rs 10,000 as part of Navratnas, the beneficiaries were filtered through various restrictions and exemptions.

In the past five years, as part of the filtering policy adopted by the previous government to ensure the Matsyakara Bharosa scheme, the beneficiaries were reduced by citing reasons such as household electricity consumption increasing to 300 units, having a four-wheeler, having an employee in the household or exceeding the house area limit, being an income tax payer, and having government pensioners in the household. Those who do not fully use the subsidised diesel provided by the government for the hunting boats of fishermen have also been declared ineligible for this scheme. Due to this, many deserving people were also deprived of the benefit.

The NDA leaders campaigned before the election and assured that they will provide generous compensation to all the eligible persons without imposing such exemptions and increase the benefit of Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000.

Officials said that the government has now decided to provide a compensation of Rs 20,000. The decision is rejoicing for the fishermen who lost their jobs for about two months due to the ban on fishing.

An officer of the Fisheries Department said that K Atchennaidu, the Minister for Agriculture, Cooperation, Marketing, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries has directed to ensure that compensation is given to all the eligible fishermen who depend on fishing in the district and to thoroughly examine the details of the beneficiaries at the field level.

Every year, the fisheries department implements a ban on fishing during the breeding season along the 976 km seacoast in AP. Until 2014, the ban on fishing was in effect for 45 days a year, but after the NDA came to power in 2014, the ban was extended to 61 days between April 15 and June 14. Fisheries officials estimate that there may be more than 30,000 beneficiaries in the combined district. It is said that the final number can be said after field-level observation.