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Monday, Nov 17, 2008
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Commission to identify distress areas

Girish Menon

Government to decide on fishermen debt relief panel’s recommendations

Commission to receive petitions for debt relief
To have staff strength of 17 spread over 11 posts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Fishermen Debt Relief Commission has been empowered to identify and recommend as distressed any district or part of a district that is predominantly inhabited by the fishermen community in accordance to a set of norms.

The government would have to take a decision within 30 days after receiving the commission’s recommendation and declare such areas as distressed for a specific period.

The State government has issued rules under the recently passed Kerala Fishermen Debt Relief Commission Act giving effect to various norms under which the commission is to function.

Accordingly, the commission would study the impact of natural calamities, contagious diseases, clashes and other accidents, the level of debt among fishermen communities in the area under purview, the loss sustained to implements and loss of employment while recommending a particular area as distressed.

Rules

The rules also specify the agencies that would perform the commitment to provide debt relief to the fishermen community. This includes apex agencies, cooperative banks and fishermen cooperatives.

The commission would have a staff strength of 17 persons spread over 11 posts, including that of the chairperson.

The commission would receive petitions from fishermen for debt relief under a prescribed form.

The government has also issued rules for processing the application forms. The commission can choose its own methodology to conduct inquiries relating to petitions for debt relief.

The rules also lay down procedures relating to utilisation and maintenance of accounts of various grants received from the government.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government considers the debt relief legislation for fishermen as much a landmark as the Kerala Farmers Debt Relief Commission.

In view of the serious problems that the fishermen community has been facing, the government felt that a separate commission would be necessary to tackle them.

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