After inordinate delay and concern expressed at various fora over coastal security, all the sea-bound fish workers in Visakhapatnam will have national biometric identity cards.
Special camps are being conducted at the Fishing Harbour here, Pudimadaka, Bhimili, Atchutapuram and Nakkapalli. The last date for enrolment has been extended to July 25. “We want to issue cards to all 15,000 sea-going fishermen and workers to achieve 100 per cent coverage very soon,” a senior official of the Fisheries Department told The Hindu .
As of now, scanning for 4,465 fisher-folk is completed at Fishing Harbour in the city, 3,694 at Atchutapuram and 2,150 at Nakkapalli. The official said those who have not turned up at the special camps should contact the nearest Fisheries Development Officer for their enrolment. The cards are also known as smart identity cards. Though the decision was taken at the highest level to issue biometric cards to all in 2009, the implementation has remained very slow. “This has led to harassment by Coast Guard, Marine Police and other agencies. Now we are happy that everyone is being given a biometric card,” Dolphin Boat Operators’ Welfare Association president Ch. Satyanarayana Murthy said.
With Visakhapatnam identified as vulnerable for terror attacks as per the intelligence reports, strict surveillance is being maintained at the Fishing Harbour and other fish landing centres. Marine Police Stations have been set up at various places.
Visakhapatnam Port Trust, which is the custodian of the Fishing Harbour, is under pressure from the Ministries of Defence and Home Affairs to relocate the harbour to Mulakuddu near Bhimili. However, due to stiff resistance from the boat and trawler owners, the proposal has been kept under abeyance.
To improve surveillance, there is a proposal to install 24x7 security system with CCTV cameras and restrict entry of outsiders. Existing security need to be improved further with a proposal pending with the government to introduce cruise tourism between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada.
The port has already developed a passenger jetty by spending nearly Rs.4 crore at the Fishing Harbour during International Fleet Review. Efforts are on to pacify fishermen to allow cruise tourism as it will provide employment opportunity to many.
