Govt. comes under fire at CPI(M) seminar

Former MP M. Babu Rao speaking at a seminar in Visakhapatnam on Thusrday.

The successive governments have been going all out to roll out a red carpet to big investors and multi-national companies (MNCs) even if that meant driving out the poor fisherfolk, tribal people and farmers and depriving them of their livelihood, said the speakers at a seminar organised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The seminar on ‘New Andhra Pradesh – Problems of Fishermen’ was organised here on Thursday as a run up to the forthcoming All India CPI (M) Mahasabha to be held in the city from April 14 to 19.

Former Member of Parliament Midium Babu Rao said that there were a number of fishermen villages along the Visakhapatnam coast.

The traditional fishermen had withstood the competition from mechanised boats and trawlers.

The Central and State governments were out to deprive the fishermen of their livelihood by amending regulations like CRZ that were meant for their welfare.

The proposed PCPIR and chemical industries were not only polluting the coastal waters but also destroying the fish resources.

CPI (M) State secretariat member Ch. Narasinga Rao said that the party was not opposed to the setting up of industries but only wanted the government to ensure that the rights of the communities sticking to traditional professions like fishing and farming and tribal people were protected.

Thousands of fishermen had lost their livelihood due to construction of industries like NTPC, Pharma City, Brandix and NAOB but adequate steps were not taken to provide alternative livelihood to the fishermen.

Agnikula Kshatriya Sangham State general secretary Teppala Shantaram said the permission being given to Deep Sea Fishing trawlers from abroad was depriving traditional fisherfolk of their livelihood.

He sought construction of fishing jetties after every 15 km along the coastline and provision of two acres of land along the coast to each fishermen family.

Andhra Pradesh Matsyakarula, Matsya Karmika Sangham State general secretary Koviri Appala Raju presided.

Earlier, the meeting paid tributes to Chodipilli Nookaraju, who died in the police firing at Gangavaram village in 2006.

Fishermen leaders from Gangavaram village Mosa Gurumurthy and Matsya Karmika Sangham city secretary Tambala Mahesh were among those who were present.

The Central and State governments are out to deprive the fishermen of their livelihood

M. Babu Rao

Former MP