The Hindu : Advani's assurance to fishermen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 05, 2003

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Advani's assurance to fishermen

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 4. The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, has assured the National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) that the problem of illegal detention of Indian fishermen by neighbouring countries would be looked into. A NFF team, led by Thomas Kocherry, met Mr. Advani yesterday to apprise him of the problems faced by the fishermen, particularly those living close to the border areas. Mr. Advani told the team that he would try to find a permanent solution and a committee would be constituted within a week to work in tandem with the Agriculture, Petroleum and Environment and Forest Ministries for the implementation of the Murari Committee recommendations.

Mr. Kocherry told The Hindu that the delegation requested the Deputy Prime Minister to take up the issue with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

The forum has threatened to go on an indefinite strike during the World Social Forum meeting to be held in Mumbai in January 2004 if its demands were not met. The annual budget for the Fisheries Department had been reduced from Rs. 800 crores to Rs. 750 crores without taking inflation into account.

"Moreover, the Prime Minister's assurance of Rs. 253 crores annually towards kerosene and diesel under "marine fishermen's development assistance'' has been totally dishonoured,'' Mr. Kocherry said.

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