The District Collector, A. Suganthi on Tuesday inaugurated the distribution of financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 82.3 lakh to 4,575 fishermen of the district under the national savings cum relief scheme for marine fishermen under the National Fund for Fishermen, implemented by the State Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department.
This central and State government sponsored special scheme is to inculcate savings habit among fishermen. Under this scheme, the government will provide relief to the fishermen professionally engaged in full time fishing in sea and have enrolled themselves as members of the cooperative fishing society, during the lean months i.e. four months in a year.
Under this scheme contribution of Rs. 70 per month is collected from the fishermen for a period of eight months from January to August and Rs. 40 as final instalment in the month of September. Thus Rs. 600 is collected from the fishermen. The Centre and the State government will separately provide grants equivalent to the contribution of Rs. 600 collected from the fishermen. The total amount of Rs. 1,800 will be provided to the fishermen during the lean months.
A total of 4,575 fishermen of the district enrolled themselves under this scheme during this year. The state government has already released the Rs. 82.3 lakh to Pudukottai district, Ms. Suganthi said in a statement issued here today.
The Collector distributed cheques to a few fishermen at a brief function at the Collectorate in the presence of N. Chandra, deputy director of fisheries and A. Jambunathan, assistant director of fisheries.
