The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Minister, in the fisheries sector there are people who depend on marine resources and those who depend on inland freshwater fisheries. Under the previous Government, fingerlings were provided at Rs. 4.50 per fish. Now your Government has increased the subsidy to Rs. 6.50 per fish, but the sale price has been raised to Rs. 6.00. If the fingerling price is increased from Rs. 4.50 to Rs. 6.00, the total cost per fingerling comes to around Rs. 12.50.

¶ 02 In the Batticaloa District, we have more than 50 small, medium, and large tanks. There are around 2,500 families depending on these water bodies. According to your plan, this year Rs. 8.4 million has been allocated to release fingerlings in Batticaloa. The Chairman of the Pradeshiya Sabha Development Committee, Kanthasamy Prabu, and the General Secretary of the National Fisheries Federation, Nelson Edirisinghe, followed this matter at the last meeting.

¶ 03 Your Government’s plan requires fishermen’s societies to first purchase fingerlings worth Rs. 4 million, after which the Government provides a subsidy of Rs. 4.4 million. The problem is, these societies do not have that level of funds. They have only about Rs. 1.2 million. With the subsidy of Rs. 6.50 per fish, at most they can implement a Rs. 2.5 million programme. Even if they add Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 500,000 more, they still cannot reach the Rs. 8.4 million target.

¶ 04 Under the previous Government, while supplying fingerlings at Rs. 4.50 each, if 30,000–50,000 fingerlings were purchased, an additional 15,000–20,000 were supplied as a subsidy and released free into the tanks. Under the present Government, marine fisherfolk also face problems, and so do those relying on freshwater fisheries. Therefore, I urge you to restore the previous model—either provide fingerlings at Rs. 4.50 each or supply 20,000–30,000 as a subsidy. Otherwise, please do not come to our area with slogans like “Prosperous Country – Beautiful Life.”

¶ 05 When you visited, we informed you that in Valaichchenai a private party has fenced off the shore, preventing fishers from berthing their boats. You said you would inform the Coast Conservation Department and other relevant authorities. Hon. Kanthasamy Prabu is present here; he can also brief you. It is the brother of former State Minister Pillayan who fenced the area. Because the Government formed understandings with Pillayan’s support to control certain local authorities in Batticaloa, perhaps he is being protected. I raised this previously as well. I hope that is not the case. Please attend to this matter.

¶ 06 Finally, I am winding up. In our Batticaloa District, the Chairman of the 40th Mile Fishermen’s Society, Arumugam Lingarasa, was arrested yesterday on an absurd allegation of damaging archaeological monuments. We have obtained his release on bail. Please, do not destroy the lives of fishermen!

¶ 07 I also draw your attention to the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ Batticaloa District Office, which constructed three fuel sheds at Kalluvankerny, Palamunai-madu and Onthachimadam. At a meeting you attended, we discussed handing over the Onthachimadam shed to the Pradeshiya Sabha because it remains closed. Since 12 May, without any permission, an individual has been running a kerosene business at the Kalluvankerny shed and is not paying the fishermen’s society. He is a local organizer of Minister Douglas Devananda’s party in Batticaloa. Previously he was accused of using power to extort politicians. The agreements for the Palamunai-madu and Kalluvankerny fuel sheds expired on 12 May. How is this being run for more than six months without an agreement under the NPP Government? Is there room for fraud and corruption? Thank you.