Mangalore: ‘I am non fish eater and happy about it since the fish eaters now a days eat the fishermen too. But we have taken the responsibility to protect them’, said Sushma Swaraj, Leader of the opposition Party, Loksabha.
She was delivering the speech at the valedictory ceremony of the valedictory ceremony (West Coast) organized by the National Fishermen’s Cell at Sanghanikethan on April 30, Saturday.
Speaking on the issues related to fishermen, he said that there are five issues related to a fisherman whom has to be discussed including Life and liberty, livelihood, habitation, education and health. But the fishermen are being betrayed by the liberty and are killed by the Srilankan Navy. There are fishermen who are still suffering in Pakistani Jail.
After the complaint filed to the central government, around 150 fishermen were released.
She said that killing of Indian fishermen by the Srilankan Navy is not acceptable and the BJP government must take action to protect them. When a fishermen do not return home, the government gives the compensation to the family after 7 seven years, till then the whole family will suffer and die. She urged the central government to give loans to the fishermen at 4 percent interest. In the further meeting held at assembly we will not only pass the resolution but also implement it, she assured.
State BJP President K S Eshwarappa presided over the function and said that no state government in the past has provided such a facility to the fishermen, weavers, minorities, backward communities. He assured that further BJP will cover the 24 seats in the assembly and if Sushma Swaraj supports, they can meet the goal of 28 seats too.
MP D V Sadananda Gowda, said that, in coastal region like DK, Udupi and Karwar all the 3 MP are from BJP party. CRZ is one of the basic notification in relaxes the fishermen. He urged Sushma Swaraj to raise the issue of CRZ 2 and 3 in the assembly, which is for the welfare for the fishermen.
MLA Lalaji R. Mendon, the joint convener of the NFC, Muraleedhar Rao, the national secretary of the BJP, Dr. Prakash Malgave, the national convener of NFC, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, B. Nagaraj Shetty, the chairman of the Coastal Development Authority; Padmanabha Kottary, the district president of the BJP, Yashpal Suvarna, president of Fish Marketing Federation, Dakshina Kannada-Udupi President were present.

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