The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Rs. 137-crore fresh package for fishermen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 04, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Rs. 137-crore fresh package for fishermen

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, FEB. 3. The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today announced a Rs. 137-crore fresh relief package for about three lakh families in the tsunami-hit areas to enable them to tide over the difficult situation until they resumed fishing. She reiterated her demand that the Centre provide 100 per cent subsidy for rehabilitation of the fishermen.

Making a suo motu statement in the Assembly, Ms. Jayalalithaa said, "it is because of her efforts that the State Government's due powers and responsibilities [in extending assistance to the affected] have been protected."

As it would take about three months for the fisherfolk to repair and replace damaged boats, she was announcing the new package of assistance.

Committees to monitor

Each affected family would be given 30 kg of rice, 3 litres of kerosene, palmolein oil, dhal, turmeric powder, tamarind, dried chilli, sambar powder, iodised salt, sugar, tea dust — all worth Rs. 1,526 — for February, March and April. The relief materials would be handed over to the women members — wife, mother or the eldest daughter — of the affected families through fair price shops under the supervision of tsunami relief monitoring committees at the village and ward levels.

In the absence of any GO from the Centre till January 29, she announced an additional relief package of Rs. 396 crores for the restoration of the fishermen's livelihood, based on the announcements made by the Union Finance Minister and the Agriculture Minister after the Union Cabinet meeting on January 19.

At variance

The Home Ministry's GO dated January 31 was at variance with the Union Finance Minister's direction given on January 29 that loans and subsidies for fishermen would be disbursed only through public sector commercial banks, Ms. Jayalalithaa said. The GO made it clear that the Central subsidy to the tune of Rs. 356.54 crores would be routed through the State Government. The Centre also informed the Government that the remaining portion of assistance in the form of loan would be disbursed to the beneficiaries through banks.

Scheme launched

On the basis of the Central GO, she launched the scheme yesterday to provide full subsidy for purchase of new wooden catamarans and nets at Rs. 32,000 a unit. The scheme for issue of subsidy with a ceiling of Rs. 5 lakhs for repairing mechanised boats and replacing fibreglass catamarans, `vallams' and mechanised boats would be inaugurated tomorrow.

The fishermen were not fully satisfied with the Central scheme as they expected that the entire assistance would be in the form of subsidy, Ms. Jayalalithaa said. She would continue to insist that the Centre release the entire Rs. 923.01 crores for restoration of their livelihood as subsidy from the National Calamity Contingency Fund. The State's Calamity Relief Fund had been fully exhausted.

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