Rollback draconian government order, restore rights of fishermen: Naidu to Jagan

Naidu shot off a letter to Jagan and urged him to roll back government order (GO) 217.

"It is condemnable that the government was putting tanks, canals, and reservoirs to auction. This GO 217 would be like a noose around the necks of the fishermen. It would reduce them to coolies," he said.

Naidu said the in the past, financial assistance was given to fishermen societies to release hatchlings in the tanks, canals, and reservoirs. TDP chief asked the government to revoke GO 217 immediately and protect the justifiable rights of the fishermen

Naidu said in the past, 75 percent subsidy was given to fishermen through the inland societies on nets, boats, ice boxes, mopeds, auto-rickshaws, and vans.

"Women were given Rs. 10,000 financial assistance. All such benefits were withdrawn in the past two and half years. There was no support to fishermen who suffered losses in cyclones. Not even death certificates were being given to fishermen who died while fishing in the sea," he said.

Naidu said that over 16,800 BCs had lost their positions of leadership in the local bodies after their decades-long political reservations were cut down from 34 percent to 24 percent. "Not a single rupee of funds or loans were given to these corporations or federations in the past two and half years," he said.

The TDP chief lamented that the BC sub-plan was undermined and the BCs were removed from all platforms of decision-making in the government.

"This was contrary to how the BCs were involved in all decisions since 198. Subsidy loans were given to lakhs of BC youth through corporations and federations in the previous regime. The BC development and welfare were given priority under the sub-plan," he said.