Tamil Nadu - Nagapattinam   

Non-functioning of auction centre irks fishermen

Special Correspondent

They stage agitation demanding necessary facilities

NOT PROPERLY FINISHED: A view of the fish auction centre in Nagapattinam.

Nagapattinam: The non-functioning of the fish landing and auction centre built at a cost of more than Rs.1.50 crore has irked fishermen here.

The centre was built for the benefit of fishermen of Nagapattinam, Akkaraipettai, Keechankuppam and nearby coastal hamlets.

The Government did not take any steps to provide concrete flooring at the fish landing centre in spite of repeated representations made by the fishermen associations.

Angered over the lethargic attitude of the Government, nearly two hundred fishermen from Akkaraipettai and Keechankuppam resorted to a road blockade agitation for about 30 minutes at Melakottaivasal junction on the national highway here on Saturday morning demanding the Government to allow them to auction their fish at the Nagapattinam port area till the new centre was provided with all necessary facilities.

A cross-section of fishermen told that the project to construct the centre was taken up by the previous Government before the tsunami, but the entire work was damaged by the tsunami.

However, a new centre was built under the tsunami rehabilitation project at a cost of more than Rs.1.50 crore and was inaugurated by the Minister for Local Administration, M.K. Stalin, more than six months ago.

The district administration had at the time of opening of the fish auction centre assured that all infrastructure facilities, including concrete flooring, would be provided by replacing the ordinary red-mud surface to enable them to use the fish landing and auction centre effectively.

As the Government did not take up the work for providing infrastructure so far at the centre the fishermen had started using the Nagapattinam port area for landing all their mechanised and other boats and used it for auctioning their fish for more than six months.

Port directive

to fishermen

Meanwhile, the Nagapattinam port authorities had told the fishermen two months ago not to use the port premises for landing their boats and auctioning work and shift their base to the fish auction centre built at Akkaraipettai stating that they could not carry out port development works because of berthing of large number of mechanized boats.

The fishermen agreed to move to the newly built fish auction and landing centre at Akkaraipettai if all infrastructure facilities were provided to them.

The fishermen also pointed out that the fish kept on the red-mud floor get spoiled and very difficult to market their fish through auction.

The fishermen got agitated when the Nagapattinam port authorities and the district administration on Friday warned the fishermen that action would be taken against them if they did not move to the newly built auction centre.

Immediately, the fishermen associations convened a meeting on Friday night and decided to stage a road roko on Saturday pressing their demands.

The fishermen who staged a road roko on Saturday dispersed following the assurance from the revenue and police officials that they would be allowed to land their mechanized and other boats anywhere and also auction their fish wherever they want till all facilities were provided at the fish auction centre.

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

Stories in this Section

Non-functioning of auction centre irks fishermen

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu