Centre says it has released Rs 300 cr to TN for fishermen

The Centre on Monday informed the Madras High Court it has released Rs 300 crore to the Tamil Nadu government for providing relief to fishermen affected in mid-sea 'attacks' by Sri Lankan Navy.

The submission was made by counsel for the Centre before a bench comprising Justices Vineet Kothari and R Suresh Kumar, hearing a petition seeking implementation of rehabilitation schemes for the affected fishermen as directed by the court.

The bench after perusing a counter affidavit filed by the Union Department of Fisheries directed the Director of the state Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries department to be present in the court on March 16 and submit details of amounts received from the Centre so far and its utilisation.

Prima facie it appeared that the Centre under the 'Blue Revolution' scheme - Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries - had provided a financial assistance of Rs.300 crores to the state for providing relief to the adversely affected fishermen, who were attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy after they happened to cross the maritime boundaries, it said.

Referring to the order of earlier bench which directed the authorities to ensure welfare schemes and development programmes to be implemented in letter and spirit, the bench noted the state government had not filed its counter though the PIL petition was pending for the last two years.

Petitioner Fishermen Care, an organisation working for the cause of fishermen, has moved the court seeking a direction to the state government and the Centre to implement the high court order on rehabilitation schemes for those affected by the Sri Lankan Navy.