Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

CPI(M) takes up fishermen issue with President

Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Ceremonial welcome: President Pratibha Patil being received by Mayor Pulusu Janardhana Rao at INS Dega, Naval Air Station, in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. Minister Shabbir Ali and MLC Revu Ratnakumari are also present. —

VISAKHAPATNAM: The CPI (M) has appealed to President Pratibha Patil to come to the rescue of Gangavaram fishermen who have been displaced due to construction of a private port in their village.

Bhadrachalam MP Midiam Babu Rao, in a memorandum submitted to Ms. Patil during her visit to the city on Saturday, said a fishing jetty must be constructed near the port without delay to ensure traditional fishermen easy access to the sea.

The 30,000 fishermen population of Gangavaram and Dibbapalem villages could not go to fishing due to construction of the port, and recently a wall was raised by the port management, which totally prevented the fishermen from entering the sea. Thus, they were denied their traditional livelihood, Dr. Babu Rao explained to the President.

According to a press release issued by CPI (M) district secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao, the President asked Dr. Babu Rao as to who was responsible for providing employment, relief and rehabilitation to the displaced fishermen. Dr. Babu Rao told the President that the State government should take care of the affected people. “But the government is not implementing the relief sought by the fishermen in spite of repeated pleas by the opposition parties,” Dr. Babu Rao said. According to Mr. Narasinga Rao, the President asked her Secretary to take up the issue with the State government.

Dr. Babu Rao also requested the President to use her good offices to bring the 753 non-Scheduled areas girijan villages under the purview of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.

Girijan population of these villages, located in the plain areas, was between 50 per cent and 90 per cent. Responding to the demand from all sections, the State government had sent a proposal to the Centre in 1980 to include these villages in the Fifth Schedule. While similar proposals sent from Gujarat and Maharashtra were accepted by the Centre in 1981 and 1985 respectively, the Centre did not respond to Andhra Pradesh proposal. The State government too was not pursuing the issue, Dr. Babu Rao said.

As their villages were not included in the Fifth Schedule, girijans of the villages were being denied for a long time the benefits due to them. The girijans of all the non-Scheduled villages were living without proper food, shelter, education and other necessities.

As they were not protected under the 1/70 Land Transfer Regulation, land belonging to the girijans was going out of their hands and they were now working as daily labourers on their own land.

He also cited the example of girijans of Kothakota under Gummakota panchayat and Pandirivalasa under Garugubilli panchayat, both in Anantagiri mandal in the district, not having any land in their names.

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