[Reader-list] Fwd: Fishworkers stage dharna

[T Peter]

Fishworkers stage dharna
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/fishworkers-stage-dharna/article5191869.ece
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 Protest over suspension of kerosene permits
[image: Secretary of the National Fishworkers’ Forum T. Peter inaugurating
a dharna by traditional fishworkers in Kollam on Tuesday.— Photo: C. Suresh
Kumar]
Secretary of the National Fishworkers’ Forum T. Peter inaugurating a dharna
by traditional fishworkers in Kollam on Tuesday.— Photo: C. Suresh Kumar

Traditional fishworkers in Kollam, under the banner of the Kerala
Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation, staged a dharna in front of the
Matsyafed office at Shakthikulangara here on Tuesday morning to press for
their demands pertaining to the kerosene issue.They wanted the Civil
Supplies Corporation authorities to release their kerosene permits which
were suspended last month.

Inaugurating the dharna, secretary of the National Fishworkers’ Forum T.
Peter said that keeping the permits suspended had led to a fuel crisis in
the traditional fishing sector. He alleged that the permits had been
suspended on flimsy grounds.Yet the Central and State were not taking any
step to solve the issue. He said the permit verification process by the
Corporation authorities was conducted in a haphazard manner.

It was this situation which had created the crisis. Moreover, the
Corporation authorities were averse to the idea of entrusting the Matsyafed
with the task of allocating kerosene to the fishermen based on the permits.

He called for immediate revocation of the suspended permits. Moreover,
along with the revocation, the kerosene allocation for the month of
September too should be released to permit holders, he said.

The dharna was led by federation State president P.P. John. District
president S. Francis, secretary A. Andrews, and treasurer M. Ambrose
addressed the demonstrators.