Fishermen’s Safety Neglected by AP Government- MP Gurumurthy

Tirupati MP Gurumurthy has alleged that the Andhra Pradesh government has failed to take adequate measures to ensure the safety of fishermen. Addressing a press conference, he said fishing boats were getting into accidents every two to three months and recalled an incident in August in which nine fishermen from Ambedkar and Konaseema boats were stranded at sea. According to Gurumurthy, their boat developed a technical problem in the middle of the sea and drifted towards Bangladesh, leaving the fishermen to endure 24 days of hardship between life and death. He said information was shared with the Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi embassies and discussions were held with Coast Guard officials before the fishermen were eventually located near West Bengal and brought ashore with the help of local fishermen.

Gurumurthy questioned why a proper safety audit had not been conducted for fishermen and why satellite phones and navigation facilities had not been provided for boats. He claimed that fishermen from Andhra Pradesh account for a significant share of those being detained in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and alleged that the government had failed to create adequate awareness about maritime safety. The YSRCP demanded navigation systems, power backup facilities and regular safety-awareness programmes for fishermen. Gurumurthy thanked the Centre for responding following pressure from former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and claimed that several measures had been taken for fishermen during the previous YSRCP government, including plans to provide new boats that could not be implemented because of the election code. He further alleged that the coalition government had neglected fishermen’s problems after coming to power.