In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Kshema Samithy has requested steps for distribution of land to the landless fishing community members in the district.
In the memorandum, samithy president Jose Vimalaj and secretary Vincent A. Perungalam said a survey conducted by the samithy showed that in the coastal belt from Paravur to Azheekkal, there were 1,836 landless fishing community families and in the inland fishing sector, there were 420 families.
Even those who had been living in the same land for the past twenty years had not been given title deeds. Since they were landless, these families were not entitled to the benefits of various welfare schemes, including housing schemes, of the State government and the local bodies.
The memorandum stated that during the term of the previous Left Democratic Front government, the samithy had submitted the same plea twice to the former Chief Minster V.S. Achuthanandan. But there was no response from the government. The samithy, under the leadership of the State president of INTUC, had subsequently taken out a protest march to the Kollam collectorate on April 25, 2009, demanding land.
Another march was also led to the collectorate on September 20 last raising the same demand.
