PANAJI, Mar 9: Congress president Rahul Gandhi
Saturday assured a group of traditional fishermen in Goa that
if his party was voted to power at the Centre this year, a
separate Union ministry would be created for fisheries.
Gandhi, who arrived in Goa on Friday, held series of
meetings here on Saturday with the people dependent on mining,
traditional fishermen, environmentalists opposing recent
amendment to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification
and citizens opposing handling of coal in Vasco town.
“Gandhi assured us that a separate ministry for
fisheries and fisher welfare would be created in order to do
justice to the sector once voted to power,” said Olencio
Simoes, Vice Chairperson of National Fisherworkers’ Forum.
He said Gandhi agreed to include the demand of a
separate ministry in the party’s manifesto for the upcoming
Lok Sabha election.
“Presently, fisheries is only one of the three
divisions of the department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and
Fisheries that functions under the ministry of Agriculture,”
Simoes, who led the group of fishermen for a meeting with
Gandhi, said.
The fishing community also demanded scrapping of CRZ
notification 2019, describing it as detrimental to the
community.
Gandhi also met the representatives mining dependents
and as well as those affected due to pollution created by the
handling of coal at Mormugao Port Trust in Vasco to hear their
grievances.
The Congress chief did address media as he immediately
left for Karnataka after the meetings. (AGENCIES)
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