Boat transponders provided to fishermen: Excise Minister

Vijayawada: Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra on Sunday handed over 50 boat transponders to the mechanised and motorised boat owners in Machilipatnam. Each boat transponder costs Rs 37,000. By fixing the transponder to the boats, the missing boats can be identified through the satellite communication network.

Speaking on the occasion, minister said the boat transponders can also be used to identify the fish and other sea products in the sea and also can be used to exchange the information between the fishermen in the state. He said transponders will give protection to the fishermen and their boats in the sea. He said the Central government contributes 60 per cent and the share of state government is 40 per cent and these transponders are distributed free of cost to the fishermen on subsidy. Minister said the state government will distribute the transponders to all fishermen who have mechanized boats in a phased manner. He said the state government will give full cooperation to the fishermen as they help the government to get foreign exchange. He said common facility centres will be formed to help the fishermen in the state to provide livelihood.

Kollu Ravindra said the government gave assistance to the fishermen’s families during the ban period on fishing and pensions were distributed to the fishermen who were above 50 years of age.

Former MLA Ravi Venkateswara Rao, fishermen cooperation society president K Naga Ramesh, mechanized boats owners union president Moka Ravi, fisheries department district officer V Satyanarayana and others attended the distribution programme.