AMARAVATI: MP Mopidevi Venkataramana flayed opposition parties for misleading fishermen by propagating false information on G.O 217 regarding the open auction of fish tanks and said the state government has issued orders only to free fishermen from middlemen and capitalists and improve their living standards.

Speaking to media at party central office here on Tuesday, the MP said the fishermen societies that exist at present are for name sake and only a nominal amount is being given to the society members and added that state government will be implementing G.O 217 to ensure Rs15,000 revenue to each member. He said TDP and BJP are conspiring against the G.O only for their political interests but not for the betterment of fishermen.

The MP said only 27 fish tanks in Nellore district will be called for open auction as a pilot project and 30 percent of revenue earned through auction will be credited to the concerned fishermen society and added that the state government will look into extending the project to other districts after analyzing the results in Nellore district.

He said the opposition parties are misleading that the G.O will be implemented across the state and asserted that it’s confined to Nellore district at present. He questioned over the silence of a section of fishermen community leaders when Naidu made comments against them during the previous government.

He reminded that Naidu had given Rs 2,000 as ban period relief for fishermen and increased it to Rs 4,000 prior to 2019 elections and added that there were pending arrears of ban period relief even now. He said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has increased ban period relief from Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000 after coming to power and added that subsidy on diesel has increased from Rs 6 to Rs 9 and the subsided amount for 3,000 liters diesel of mechanized boats would be credited into fishermen accounts immediately once they buy the petrol. He said the state government has given power tariff subsidy of Rs 700 crore per year benefitting 60,000 fishermen.

The MP said the state government has sanctioned construction of four fishing harbours in phase one and the works also started and added that land was also allocated for setting up AP Marine and Fisheries University in West Godavari district. He said while the state government has been implementing various welfare programmes for the welfare of fishermen, opposition parties have been mudslinging on the government for their political interests.

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