Fisheries Commissioner K Kannababu clarified that fishermen need not worry about G.O.217 issued for the betterment of fisheries co-operative societies.Of course, this is going to benefit them.
He spoke to the media at the secretariat on Tuesday.He said the government has taken steps to ensure that every fisherman in the fishing societies earns not less than Rs 15,000.
It was decided to allocate ponds above one hundred hectares through open auction and deposit 30 per cent of the proceeds equally to the members of the Society and spend another 20 per cent for their upliftment through the Federation of Fishermen’s Co-operative Societies.Fisheries Co-operative Societies can also participate in the auction.
Fishermen, who naturally depend heavily on the sea for their livelihood, will not be harmed by the 217 G.O.
Kannababu said the members of the lease societies do not earn more than Rs 300 to Rs 10,000 per annum as the ponds above one hundred hectares are in the hands of brokers.In 90 per cent of the societies, the maximum is not more than Rs 2,500 per annum.
Of the 582 ponds spread over an area of 100 hectares across the state, only 337 are being leased out to fisheries co-operatives.He said his department was ready to salvage any doubts about the G.O.
