Boat-owners to petition Naidu

They want the GO on compensation amended. An amount of Rs.6 lakh was promised for sunken boats but the fisheries officials were insisting that they condemn the vessels and submit registration cancellation certificate to claim the amount.

Month After Hudhud: Fishermen repairing their fishing boats as some others are busy retreiving from their broken boats at the Fishing Harbour in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.

Seething with anger over delay in handing over compensation for losses caused by cyclone Hudhud, the fishing community has decided to shut down fishing harbour on Monday and submit a memorandum to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on the need to amend GO Ms. No. 13. At an emergency meeting here, AP Mechanised Boat Operators’ Association president P.C. Appa Rao, Dolphin Boat Operators’ Welfare Association president Ch. Satyanarayana Murthy and representatives from Association of Indian Fishery Industries resolved to take the issue directly to Mr. Naidu during his one-day visit to the city.

As their representations have fallen on deaf ears to amend the GO issued on October 22, they are not in a position to receive compensation for sunken boats.

An amount of Rs.6 lakh was promised for sunken boats but the fisheries officials were insisting that they condemn the vessels and submit registration cancellation certificate to claim the amount.

“We have to spend Rs.25 lakh to Rs.30 lakh to buy a mechanised boat. If we are not allowed to salvage the sunken boats and repair to make them seaworthy, how can we eke out a living by fishing? Hence, the compensation amount should be given to us immediately by relaxing the norms,” Mr. Appa Rao said.