HYDERABAD: Bathina Harinath Goud, eldest of the Bathina brothers, who administer the fish medicine annually, on Saturday said he would seek the Chief Minister's intervention to get the Fisheries Department retract its decision not to supply fish fingerlings.

Talking to The Hindu , Mr. Goud said the supply of fingerlings used in the medicine on the onset of mrigasira was not merely the concern of the Bathina family, but also of the Government since thousands of people came from all over the country and even abroad.

Sounds optimistic

He, however, admitted that the medicine could also be administered through jaggery. If the Government could not supply fish, he would use jaggery, he said.

Mr. Goud hoped that there would not be a huge shortage of murrel since some could be procured from private sellers. But, if they were given a free hand, they would sell at exorbitant rates -- Rs 100-200 per fish.

The Fisheries Department used to sell earlier at Rs. 5 each.

Tsunami effect

The Government had earlier announced its decision not to supply the fingerlings. S. Chellappa, principal secretary, Animal Husbandry & Dairy Development, had asked the Commissioner of Fisheries not to make the supply this year in view of the shortage of murrel due to tsunami and other factors.

The Fisheries Commissioner has been asked to suggest to the Battina brothers to use jaggery instead of fish.

However, the Commissioner has been advised to keep a stock of about 10,000 murrel fingerlings to meet emergency.

The Hyderabad Collector and the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad have been asked to make arrangements for the event with pandals, barricades, electrification, water supply and closed circuit TVs.

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