Fishermen seek on-time disbursal of lean period aid

CHENNAI: On the occasion of International Fisheries Day, fishermen in the state urge the state for faster disbursal of lean period assistance.

“Technically, the lean period in the state starts from October and ends in December, but the assistance does not reach fishermen on time which does not fulfill the ultimate objective of the scheme. The state should ensure that the assistance is given within three months and not beyond that,” K Bharathi, president, South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association, told DT Next.

The fishing lean period in the state corresponds with the north east monsoon season as due to cyclone and frequently formed low pressure area fishermen could not venture into the sea. The state initially gave Rs 5,000 for the lean period and after the DMK came to power the assistance was increased to Rs 6,000. Recently, the scheme of distributing lean period assistance for the current year was flagged off by Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan.

Bharathi said that during the lean period most fishermen are left jobless and struggle hard to meet their livelihood demands. The monetary assistance given by the state to some extent will solve the needs of the fishermen, but in Chennai and its neighbouring districts of Tiruvallur and Chengalpattu most fishermen receive it only in January.

“While we welcome the decision to increase the monetary assistance during the lean period it has been a habit in the fisheries office to delay the disbursal of funds. It should not be repeated in the future,” said Bharathi.