Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Fish workers to launch State-wide agitation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) is gearing up for a State-wide agitation against the government for the failure to implement the loan waiver package for fish workers in the State.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, KSMTF State president T. Peter and district secretary Anto Elias said fish workers across the State had been let down by the Centre’s move to exclude them from the agriculture loan waiver package. They said it would be a heavy blow for the fishing community which is already struggling under the impact of depleting fish stocks and rising input costs.

“Many of us will be forced to beach the boats that were purchased with loans from banks and private financial institutions. The rising cost of diesel and kerosene adds to our burden,” Mr. Peter said. He alleged that the Union government had gone back on its pre-election commitment to waive the loans of fish workers. “The State government’s loan waiver scheme also could not taken off beyond the constitution of a committee,” he said.

The federation said traditional fishermen were the worst affected by the depletion of fish stocks due to the operation of foreign fishing vessels.

Fish workers will take out a march to the office of the Accountant General here on May 11 demanding steps to waive their loans. On May 25, they would stage a dharna before the Government Secretariat. In the third phase of the stir, a KSMTF delegation would submit a memorandum to the newly installed government in New Delhi, highlighting their demands.

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