Kerala - Alappuzha   

`Coastal development agency a ploy to hoodwink fishermen'

By Our Staff Reporter

ALAPPUZHA, DEC. 10. The Kerala Swatantra Matsya Tozhilali Federation leader, Lal Koipparambil, has said that the State Government's move to form a Coastal Development Agency (CDA) was a ploy to hoodwink the fishing community.

At a press conference here today, Mr Lal said that the previous UDF Government lead by A.K. Antony had promised to form a coastal development authority with statutory powers.

`A voluntary outfit'

"The present CDA is a voluntary organisation formed under the Charitable Societies' Act with a capital of Rs two crores and is not of much use to the fishing community,'' said Mr Lal.

He said the former Fisheries Secretary, C. Chandran, who had been deputed by the Government in 1996, had recommended the formation of a coastal development authority. He said a voluntary organisation had no relevance to fishermen who face insecurity in their work and live in areas which are backward.

Implementation

Mr Lal said that though the State Government had divided the coastal area in the State to 222 panchayats, it had not specified the areas where the development programmes for coastal areas were going to be implemented. He pointed out that even in coastal panchayats only 10 per cent of the population were fishermen and they live adjacent to the sea and backwaters.

If the Government aimed to develop the fishing community, which is the most backward, there was no rationale in taking panchayats as the basic units, said Mr Lal. The Government should integrate the various welfare programmes for fishermen and financial aid for them with the development works, said Mr Lal. According to him, the coastal development agency would not be competent to do handle such complicated work.

Mr Lal said the Matsyafed should be reconstituted. He also demanded the formation of a coastal development authority.

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

Kerala

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

`Coastal development agency a ploy to hoodwink fishermen'

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu