Mangaluru: The Karnataka Purse-seine fishermen’s union in association with Mangaluru trawler boat fishermen’s union staged a protest in front of the DC office here on August 5.
Prior to the protest, all the fishermen marched in a procession from Bunder – Statebank- Town Hall and culminated in front of the DC office.
Addressing the protesters, president of KPFU Nitin Kumar said that from the past 12 years, to promote fishing, the state government has exempted the sales tax and the fishing industry has prospered because of the exemption of sale tax. Many youth have started their own business by borrowing loan from the banks. But now the government has implemented the new scheme from April 1, earlier the union had opposed the scheme and held talks with the MLAs and political leaders and the scheme was withheld for two months. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had promised that the scheme will be implemented only after holding discussions with the fishermen. But the government has taken a unilateral decision to transfer the subsidy amount to the bank accounts of the fishermen.
The fishermen demanded the government to continue the previous system of providing subsidy to the fishermen while purchasing diesel.
Gillnet Fishing Association president Ali Hasan and President of Karnataka Purse-seine Fishermen’s Union Umesh Karkera also spoke. Vasudev Boloor, Sathish Kotian, NaveenBangera, Hussain, Bhushan and others were also present.
