The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Police to issue mass clearance certificates to fishermen

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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Police to issue mass clearance certificates to fishermen

Staff Reporter

An effort to help them get identity cards

Utilise chance: S. Amsavalli, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Coastal Security, Pattukottai, addressing fishermen at Manamelkudi, in Pudukottai district on Tuesday.

PUDUKOTTAI: The Coastal Security Police will adopt a hastle-free procedure for ensuring expeditious issue of clearance certificates to fishermen to facilitate them to obtain identity cards from the Fisheries Department, the DSP, (Coastal Security), Pattukottai, S. Amsavalli, said.

Addressing fishermen at Manamelkudi village, about 70 km from here on Tuesday, she said that it was mandatory to obtain the clearance certificate from the police, for gettining the card from the Fisheries Department. She appealed to the villagers to apply for the clearance in groups, so that the Coastal Security Police personnel would issue the same without any delay.

Earlier, participating in a discussion, the president of the Pudukottai District Country boat Owners’ Welfare Association, M. Karnan, complained that there was inordinate delay in obtaining the clearance certificate. Worst-hit were the fishermen against whom petty cases had been registered.

The Collector D. Uthirakkumaran appealed to the fishermen not to trespass into Sri Lankan waters.

Mr. Karnan said that the boundary of the Indian and Sri Lankan waters had not been categorically spelt out.

A vast extent of Kodiyakarai fell under the surveillance of the Sri Lankan Navy.

He also said that since the implementation of the Sethu Project, the fishing zone had got squeezed. Prior to the implementation of the project, the fishermen of Tamil Nadu could venture into the sea up to 17 km between Dhanushkodi and the Kutch. The Sri Lankan Government had permitted fishing by Indians only up to 13 km. “Although the balance 4 km falls in our jurisdiction, we choose to loose the same, indicating a fall in our revenue,” he said.

The president of the Mechanised Boat Owners Association, G. Ramakrishnan, clarified that the fishermen were not opposed to the SSCP, but its implementation had caused a setback to their activity.

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