Member of Parliament Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao has flayed Opposition parties for misleading fishermen by propagating false information on G.O. 217 regarding the open auction of fish tanks and said the State government has issued orders only to free fishermen from middlemen and capitalists to improve their living standards.
Speaking to reporters at the party central office here on Tuesday, the MP said that fishermen societies exist only on paper and only a nominal amount is being given to the society members, and added that the State government will be implementing G.O. 217 to ensure ₹15,000 revenue to each member. He said the TDP and BJP are creating confusion over the G.O. only for their political interests but not for the betterment of fishermen.
The MP said that only 27 fish tanks in Nellore district would be called for open auction as a pilot project and 30% of revenue earned through auction will be credited to the concerned fishermen society and added that the State government will look into extending the project to other districts after analysing the results in Nellore district.
“Opposition parties are misleading fishermen by stating that the G.O. would be implemented across the State. I assure you all that it is confined to Nellore district at present,” the MP said, and questioned the silence of a section of fishermen community leaders when TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu made comments against them when he was Chief Minister.
“Mr. Naidu had given ₹2,000 as financial relief to the fishermen during the fishing ban and increased it to ₹4,000 prior to the 2019 elections. The arrears have not been released till now. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy increased the financial relief during the ban period from ₹4,000 to ₹10,000 after coming to power and the subsidy on diesel has been increased from ₹6 to ₹9 and the subsidised amount for 3,000 litres of diesel for mechanised boats would be credited into fishermen accounts immediately once they buy the fuel,” the MP said, adding that the State government has given power tariff subsidy of ₹700 crore per year benefiting 60,000 fishermen.
The MP said the State government has sanctioned construction of four fishing harbours in the first phase and the works were also started, and added that land was also allocated for setting up the A.P. Marine and Fisheries University in West Godavari district. He said while the State government has been implementing various welfare programmes for the welfare of fishermen, Opposition parties have resorted to mudslinging to further their vested interests.
