YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy assured the fishing community that his Party would mount pressure on the State to ensure speedy relief and rehabilitation.
Demanding that the TDP government provide adequate ex-gratia to the fishermen who lost their livelihoods, Leader of the Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has assured the fishing community that the YSR Congress would mount pressure on the State to ensure speedy relief and rehabilitation.
"It is very sad that the State has not begun the enumeration work to assess the loss and damage, and that the fishermen are being given a pittance though 400 boats have been badly damaged and 600 boats have gone missing. The damaged boats should be repaired immediately, and ex-gratia should be given to the fishermen till the time that the boats are put on sail," he told reporters after visiting the Visakhapatnam harbor area which was ravaged by the Hudhud cyclone that played havoc with the fishing community living close to the coast.
The State had miserably failed in addressing the problems of the fishermen whose boats had been damaged, Jagan alleged. 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 were ready to set sail, and the economic activity of the fishermen restored, he demanded.
Each boat carried 8 persons, and nearly 22 families were dependents, directly or indirectly, on each boat, he informed. Rs. 50,000 should be given to each family as compensation at this time of crisis, he stated.
"The compensation announced by the government is meagre, and the issue should be treated in right earnest and help offered restoring the fishing activity of the fishermen. Th government should not wash away its hands by paying 10% to 20% compensation," he said.
The magnitude of the loss and tragedy was serious, with 600 boats still to be traced, he said, adding that the government should provide fiber boats which could weather such storms.
The strong gales had blown away roof tops, and no enumeration had been done to indicate how many houses had been damaged and how much compensation needed to be paid, he alleged. The officials should take up relief and rehabilitation works immediately, and repair the damaged houses and build new houses for totally damaged houses, he demanded.
"This is the fourth day after the storm had crossed the coast, and still locals say that only lemon rice was given, and only once, and that too by social organizations and not the Government. We demand that Rs 5,000 per family be immediately released," he said. (INN)