The Hindu : Kerala News : Licence for foreign trawlers will not be renewed: Ram Naik

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 06, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Licence for foreign trawlers will not be renewed: Ram Naik

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MAY 5. The Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ram Naik, said here on Wednesday that licences given for operation of foreign trawlers would not be renewed after their expiry. The Government had also decided not to issue new licences.

Addressing the `Janavidhi 2004 Programme', organised by the Kesari Journalists' Trust, the Minister said that a committee, appointed by the Government, was examining the charter of demands submitted by the National Fishers Federation to the Government.

Mr. Naik denied that kerosene quota for fishermen of the State had been cut. The Centre had only proportionally cut the overall quota for the State with the issue of 21.56 lakh gas connections during the past five years.

It appeared that there was shortage of kerosene in the State because the allocation in the ration cards to those who received gas connections had not been cut. The State Government should examine where the kerosene was going, he said.

Asked about violation of human rights of Indian workers in Iraq, including forced labour and abuse, at the U.S. army camp, the Minister said they had gone there voluntarily. The Government had taken stock of the situation and the Indian Embassy would help the workers to return to the country safely.

Asked whether there would be an increase in prices of petroleum products after the elections, the Minister said that petroleum companies decided the prices themselves. Though petroleum prices had gone up recently, the companies had the financial muscle to withstand such fluctuations. They had not increased prices when a similar situation arose last year. The Government had replied to the query from the Election Commission about freezing of the petroleum prices.

He said that Thiruvananthapuram was one of the 50 districts chosen for implementation of the pilot project for unorganised labour. However, it was yet to be taken up. Whatever be the contribution of the Congress candidate, V.S. Sivakumar, for the development of the constituency, he hardly had any presence in the proceedings of the Lok Sabha.

Mr. Naik remarked that the national Opposition was leaderless and rudderless.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala