The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) has sought a monthly allowance of ₹10,000 each for fishing households for up to three months, given the COVID-19-related losses in the fishing sector and the impending monsoon season trawling ban.
In a letter to Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Pratap Chandra Sarangi, NFF chairperson Narendra R. Patil and general secretary T. Peter said the condition that Aadhaar-linked bank accounts were a pre-requisite for providing financial assistance to fish workers should be scrapped.
In a March 30 letter, the Union Department of Fisheries had requested States and Union Territories to ''ascertain and confirm'' that all affected fishermen, fish farmers, fish workers and vendors had accounts with Aadhaar linkage.
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“Since most of the fish workers and some of the fish vendors have been issued licences/ fisher ID cards, these can be verified with the respective State/UT authorities in coordination with the trade unions of fish workers as well as other associations,” the NFF leaders said.