The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : State Government unveils revised relief package for fishermen

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 25, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

State Government unveils revised relief package for fishermen

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, FEB. 24. The Tamil Nadu Government today unveiled a revised relief package for fishermen to enable them to buy or repair small fishing craft and mechanised boats.

In a statement, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, said 50 per cent subsidy would be provided for the replacement of fully damaged fibreglass reinforced plastic catamarans/vallams subject to a maximum unit cost of Rs. 1.5 lakh and a total maximum subsidy of Rs. 75,000.

(According to a January 29 GO, 35 per cent of the total cost was fixed as subsidy subject to a maximum of Rs. 52,500 with a total unit cost of Rs. 1.5 lakh inclusive of cost of engine and net).

Replacement of fully damaged/lost mechanised boats would be taken up with a subsidy of 35 per cent of the total cost restricting the subsidy to a maximum of Rs. 5 lakhs a boat. Repairs to mechanised boats would be taken up with a subsidy of 60 per cent of the assessed damage restricted to a maximum of Rs. 3 lakhs a boat.

"It will be ensured that the subsidy amount is released to individual fishermen and steps will be taken to ensure that the assets are procured immediately. Wherever the fishermen so desire, arrangements will be made to send their applications to the public sector banks to enable them to sanction the balance amount as loan. The subsidy amount will thus be connected to bank loan in such cases," she said, adding that with this package, the total assistance so far sanctioned for the permanent rehabilitation of the fishermen would be Rs. 550.27 crores.

Central subsidy

The Chief Minister recalled that she took up with the Centre the issue of providing 100 per cent grant to fishermen for their permanent rehabilitation. After her letter to the Prime Minister on February 4, the Union Government indicated that the subsidy in respect of small fishing craft with a unit cost of up to Rs. 1.5 lakhs would be increased from 35 per cent to 50 per cent and the amount would be routed through the State Government. However, for replacement of mechanised boats, the Centre took the stand that the subsidy would be maintained at 35 per cent and it would be disbursed only through public sector banks and not through the State Government. She wrote to the Prime Minister again on February 17, requesting him to adopt the same procedure for mechanised boats too.

"The final view taken by the Government of India is not yet known," the Chief Minister said.

As over three weeks had passed since the Centre announced the scheme of relief and rehabilitation on January 31 and since the fishermen were keen on getting back to work at the earliest, implementing the permanent rehabilitation package could not be delayed any further.

So, she had decided to go ahead and implement the package "for all categories of fishermen including mechanised boats by this Government in the hope that the Central Government will reimburse the State Government the expenditure incurred."

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

Tamil Nadu