The Hindu : Kerala News : Many plans for fishermen

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Wednesday, Mar 05, 2008
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Kerala

Many plans for fishermen

Staff Reporter

Debt relief Bill will be passed in this Assembly session: Sarma

KASARAGOD: The State government expects to pass the Fishermen Debt Relief Commission Bill in the current session of the Assembly, Fisheries Minister S. Sarma has said.

Mr. Sarma was inaugurating a public meeting at Bekal on Tuesday. The Select Committee of the Assembly, which was entrusted with the task of finalising the draft bill, after considering the opinion of fishermen and making amendments, had finalised the bill.

The Minister said a project to use the advancements in science and technology to provide safety to fishermen and improve their working conditions would be implemented soon. As a part of it, the government would supply 5,000 safety beacons to fishermen at a subsidised rate, he said.

The safety beacon, devised by the Indian Space Research Organisation, would help fishing boats in distress send signals to Coast Guards and ensure that the rescue helicopters reached the spot without delay.

The beacons would be distributed to fishermen for Rs.10,000 with the help of KELTRON. The government would provide 80 per cent subsidy. Tests of the devise had been completed successfully, he said.

The Minister said the government would start work to open satellite information centres in all districts in two months. The centres would provide exact information on the movement of fish in the sea, thus ensuring that the fishermen would not return from the sea empty-handed, Mr. Sarma said.

Mr. Sarma said the estimated cost of the fish landing centre proposed at Bekal would be Rs.36 lakh. It would have an auction hall, toilet block, safe parking space and uninterrupted fresh water supply. He said the government had in principle approved the construction of three mini fishing harbours in the district at Cheruvathoor, Kasaragod and Manjeswar.

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