Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Debt relief Bill for fish workers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Debt Relief Bill for fish workers will be introduced in the Assembly on March 19.

This was announced at the signing of an agreement by the State government with the National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, here on Thursday on the preparation of a detailed project report for the Integrated Coastal Area Development Programme costing Rs.3,000 crore announced by the Finance Minister in his budget speech for 2006-07. It was signed by Harikumar, Fisheries Director and Jacob George, ICADP Director of the NIRD in the presence of Fisheries Minister S. Sarma. The government will seek the Centre’s assistance for implementing the debt relief law for fish workers.

The Fisheries Minister has written to the Prime Minister and the Union Ministers for Finance and Agriculture urging them to include the fisheries sector within the ambit of the agricultural debt relief of Rs. 60,000 crore announced in the Union budget for 2008-09 and extend to fish workers the relief to be provided to the farmers. He has sought a sum of Rs.424 crore from the amount for the State. The Minister will meet the Prime Minister and the Union Ministers on March 17 to take up the matter directly with them.

The preparation of a master plan for the fisheries sector linked to the ICADP is progressing. Seven task forces are preparing the development reports for each development area under the guidance of experts of that area.

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

Stories in this Section

Blood donation camp on World Health Day
Panmana Pooram on Tuesday
Krishna Iyer’s stance flayed
Pension revision
Fall in student strength
Debt relief Bill for fish workers
Department intensifies drive against erring motorists
Remarks against cooperative sector decried
Seminar on Ayurveda drug standardisation on
Female giraffe at zoo dies
Bitter cucumber: panel blames it on premature harvesting
Minister launches housing scheme
‘Progressive taxation fairer than private participation’
Thiruvananthapuram Today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu