PUDUCHERRY, JUNE 26
Lt Governor Kiran Bedi has approved the scheme to disburse relief to fishermen who have been rendered jobless during the month-long ban ending June 15 on fishing operations.
A release issued by Secretary to Fisheries Department Purva Garg said the Lt Governor had approved of the amendment to the scheme for Welfare and Relief for fishermen to be paid during the lean season and natural calamities.
The release stated that benefit under this scheme shall not be denied only on the ground that the head of the family or family member is a recipient of old age pension.
This amendment would help fishermen whose livelihood and income were affected during the ban period and the relief would be paid through the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to their bank accounts.
The government would disburse Rs 12 crores to pay the relief to fishermen. Each of the fishermen families would be paid Rs 5,500 as relief for loss of job during ban period.
Nearly 2000 fishermen from Puducherry hold protest demanding immediate release of monetary relief during fishing pan period.
Blame @thekiranbedi for stalling clearance. pic.twitter.com/rMAZCyIqGu
— Pramod Madhav (@PramodMadhav6) June 26, 2020
There were protests against the earlier decision of Bedi to deny the relief during ban period to fishermen, in case they were getting old age pension. Legislators belonging to the opposition AIADMK had also held protests holding placards seeking the relief to fishermen without adopting any condition.
Meanwhile, a group of fishermen on Friday staged a protest aboard their fishing vessels in the Bay of Bengal against the denial of relief to fishermen getting old age pension and blamed the Lt Governor for the non-availability of the relief. The relief has since been granted by amending the rules, Purva Garg said in his release.
