Sunday, Mar 20, 2005
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By Our Staff Reporter
NAGAPATTINAM, MARCH 19 . The Centre plans to import fibreglass boats from China and Japan to meet the immediate requirement of boats in the country, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, said today. He said a delegation of officials visited Japan and China to study the possibility of importing fibreglass boats. It returned a few days ago. He held discussions with the Prime Minister on the boat building capacity in India and the facilities available in China and Japan. Many fishing boats were damaged in the December 26, 2004 tsunami and the country required a good number of mechanised fibreglass boats for fishing. After considering the boat building capacity in India, the number of boats to be imported would be decided, he said. Mr. Aiyar inaugurated two community sheds and presented five fibreglass boats to fishermen at Tharangampadi in the district under the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council and Centre of Relevance and Excellence (TIFAC-CORE) programme of the Department of Science and Technology and the project implemented by the Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA), Thanjavur. He said the university built the sheds on 420-sqft area at a cost of Rs.1.30 lakhs. The cost would be four-five times more if they were built by the Public Works Department. Moreover, it would have taken years to complete the work. He said the SASTRA could build only 35 out of the 40 community sheds under the TIFAC-CORE project in the coastal villages and the rest could not be built at Poompuhar, as the Government did not allot poromboke site. The Minister also laid the foundation for community sheds and inaugurated two computer centres at Tharangampadi and Pazhayar. Mr. Aiyar alleged that officials did not pay attention to the northern side of the district in providing tsunami relief and concentrated only on Akkaraipettai and other areas near Nagapattinam and Velankanni. Several coastal hamlets, including Chandrapadi, Manickapangu, Chinnangudi, Pudukuppam, Pazhayar, did not get proper relief.
Edible oil shortage
He said edible oil shortage was reported at Tharangampadi and several other coastal villages. Bhupinder Singh Suri from New Delhi, a social worker and recipient of Sir Jamnalal Bajaji Award, had been giving relief to the people in the village. Mr.Suri distributed 2,000 kg of edible oil to the villagers at Tharangampadi yesterday and today, he said.
Free coaching
R. Sethuraman, Vice-Chancellor, SASTRA, who presided, said the university would provide the syllabus for the computer-coaching centre in the villages and conduct free examination and coaching for students in the affected areas. Fifty community sheds would be constructed at Nambiyar Nagar, Akkaraipettai, Pazhayar, Thoduvai, Pudukuppam, Thirumullaivasal, Vanagiri, Chinnangudi, Tharangambapadi and Chandrapadi under the project and 55 fibreglass boats would also be distributed to the fishermen in these areas.
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