[Reader-list] Fish workers' Secretariat march on May 2

[T Peter]

Fish workers' Secretariat march on May 2

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http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/kerosene-issue/article7142793.ece
Fish workers' Secretariat march on May 2

Fishermen will march to the Secretariat on May 2 carrying the outboard
engine of their vessels on their shoulders. The protest is being planned
under the banner of the Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation.

Federation president T. Peter said here on Saturday that each vessel had a
quota of only 129 litres. This had not been released this month, he said.

The Central and State governments were trying to wash their hands off the
issue by blaming one another for the situation. Failure to release the
quota had made fishermen dependent on the open and black markets where
kerosene was sold at Rs.80 a litre. Fish workers could not afford this, he
said.

Through subsidised quota, kerosene was provided at Rs.15.30 per litre.

The dependence on black market was pushing the fishing community into
debts, Mr. Peter said.

He called upon the Central and State governments to urgently intervene in
the situation.