Jagan demands immediate aid

Visakhapatnam, Oct 15: Demanding the TDP government to provide adequate ex-gratia to the fishermen who lost their livelihood, Leader of Opposition YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has assured the fishing community that YSR Congress will mount pressure on the State to ensure speedy relief and rehabilitation works.

“It is very sad that the State has not begun the enumeration work to assess the loss and damage and fishermen are given a pittance though 400 boats were badly damaged and 600 boats have gone missing. The damaged boats should be repaired immediately and ex-gratia should be given to them till the time the boats are put on sail,” he told reporters after visiting the Visakhapatnam harbor area which was ravaged the Hudhud cyclone that played havoc with the fishing community living close to the coast.

The State has miserably failed in addressing the problems of the fishermen whose boats were damaged. The Government should bear the cost of repairing the damaged boats and should pay an ex-gratia of Rs 20,000 per family till the boats are set for sail and their economic activity is restored.

Each boat will carry 8 persons and nearly 22 families are dependents, directly or indirectly on each boat. Rs 50,000 should be given to each family as compensation at this time of crisis.

The compensation announced by the Government is meager and it should treat the issue with the right earnest and help in restoring their fishing activity and should not wash away their hands by paying 10 to 20 % compensation, he said.

The magnitude of the loss and tragedy is very high and serious as 600 boats are still to be traced, he said, the government should provide fiber boats which can weather such storms.

The strong gales have blown away roof tops and no enumeration was done as to how many houses were damaged and how much compensation is to be paid. The officials should take up relief and rehabilitation works immediately and repair the damaged houses and should build new houses for totally damaged houses, he said.

This is the fourth day after the storm crossed the coast, and still locals say that lemon rice was given only once by Social Organizations and not the Government. We demand that Rs 5,000 should be immediately released per family and come to the rescue of the fishing community.