QUESTION TIME: State Human Rights Commission Secretary S. Chellappa and district Collector A.K. Singhal during an inquiry into the Gangavaram police firing in the city on Saturday. — Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

VISAKHAPATNAM: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) will submit its report on police firing at Gangavaram within a week.

SHRC Secretary S. Chellappa informed this to reporters on Saturday after recording statements of district Collector Anil Kumar Singhal, Joint Collector Sandeep Kumar Sultania, Revenue Divisional Officer M. Venkateswara Rao and Pedagantyada Mandal Revenue Officer K. Prabhakara Rao.

Ch. Nookaraju, a fisherman, died instantly when police opened fire during a protest at Gangavaram in March 2006.

The firing was ordered to prevent fishermen from proceeding to the port site to prevent construction pending finalisation of rehabilitation package.

Commissioner of Police V.S.K. Kaumudi, who failed to appear before the commission, would make his statement in a few days at Hyderabad. After recording his statement, the commission would submit its report to the Government for necessary action.

Mr. Chellappa earlier visited Gangavaram and Dibbapalem.

During his statement, Mr. Singhal explained to the SHRC that the government had so far spent Rs. 40 crores on rehabilitation of fishermen affected due to the private port coming up at Gangavaram.

He said they were ready to spend an additional amount of Rs. 16 crores as per the rehabilitation and resettlement policy of the government for the project affected people.

Housing

The Collector said they had increased the number of beneficiaries from 3,260 to 3,820.

The number of fisherwomen involved in fish trade was also increased from 493 to 1,400 for getting compensation under the policy.

On the delay in construction of houses at Dayalnagar for fishermen being displaced at Dibbapalem, he said efforts were being made to sort out the problems to expedite construction of the houses.

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