CM ready to allocate housing funds for fishing community

CM ready to allocate housing funds for fishing community

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, April 29: Speaking after inaugurating the 2-day National Fishermen Conference (West Coast) organized by the National Fishermen’s Cell at Sanghanikethan on April 29, Friday, CM B. S. Yeddyurappa expressed his desire to provide each and every family in the fishing community with houses. He added that he was ready to allocate housing funds to the fishing community under various government schemes.

 

Advising the fishing community to draft a proposal on their requirements and to submit it to the government, he said that they should educate their children, but encourage them to take up fishing as their profession.

Promising that the state government will respond favorably to their demands, he said that families of fishermen who die on duty will be amply compensated, that around 10,000 families will be provided ice kits worth Rs. 5000 each, and that the state government will sanction funds for the purchase of a new dredger for their benefit.

Speaking on the occasion, N. Yogesh Bhat, the deputy speaker, said that the BJP government has provided excellent facilities to fishermen including loans at 4 percent interest.

Presiding over the event, Dr. Prakash Malgave, the national convener of NFC, said that a large number of people earn their livelihood through fishing, adding that the BJP has supported them by launching a number of schemes and facilities. Speaking about the differences between various schemes in various states, he urged for uniformity and said that this problem will be discussed at the convention. He said that the event has attracted delegates from Kerala, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, and other coastal regions.

Muraleedhar Rao, the national secretary of the BJP, pointed out that the BJP-led state government is the only government to have organized national-level conventions for fishermen in Vishakapattanam and Mangalore. Speaking about fishing in coastal Karnataka, he said that Karnataka is the only state offering huge benefits to fishermen. He also informed that 19 fishermen have been recently released from Pakistani jails and that 257 fishermen are still imprisoned there. The Pakistani government has confiscated 500 fishing boats and fishermen have still not been compensated, he added.

MLA Lalaji R. Mendon, the joint convener of the NFC, delivered the welcome address. S. D. Amin proposed the vote of thanks, and Ramachandra Baikampady, the ex convener of the NFC, spoke about the various challenges facing the fishing community.

Ram Nayak, the former petroleum minister; Krishna J. Palemar, the district-in-charge minister; N. Yogesh Bhat, the deputy speaker; MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Udupi MP Sadananda Suvarna; B. Nagaraj Shetty, the chairman of the Coastal Development Authority; Padmanabha Kottary, the district president of the BJP; Shailaja Bhat, the ZP president; and many others were present during the inauguration ceremony.