Chief Minister seeks more funds for fishing sector

Jayalalithaa requested the centre to sanction Rs.1520 crores for deep sea fishing for the state government to promote deep sea tuna long liners to help fishermen switch over from bottom trawling and for development of infrastructure at Mookaiyur, Rameswaram and Ennore fishing harbours at the Southern Zonal council meeting at Hyderabad on Saturday. She sought immediate sanction for the scheme, whose detailed plans had already been submitted to the centre, she added.

Her speech was read out by PWD minister O. Paneerselvam at the Southern Zonal council meeting at Hyderabad on Saturday The state government also plans to provide registered mechanized and motorized fishing boats with 30,000 distress alert transmitters (DAT) at an estimated Rs.2 crores released by the union government, according to CM J. Jayalalithaa. 

She said that Rs.203.70 crores was pending for construction of fishing harbours at Colachel, Chinnamuttom, Poompuhar and Thengapattinam. In a bid to ensure coastal security, the state government has notified 11 fishing ports, 36 fish landing centres and 254 fish landing points, she said and added that artificial reefs were installed in 35 places on the coast to enhance fishery resources. 

Referring to Maoists being sighted in the tri junction of TN, Kerala and Karnataka, she said 5 maoists were arrested due to increased vigilance and requested the centre to include Nilgiris district in the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) list. She also wanted the centre to sanction Rs.10.11 crores to create infrastructure for security agencies under the Integrated Action Plan (IAP).

On the power front the chief minister called for simplified procedures to get environmental clearance for laying transmission lines as there were now hurdles in getting clearance even in existing corridors. She also called for the expeditious commissioning of the Kudankulam Unit II so that another 563 MW was added to the state grid.

On forming special project vehicles (SPV) with the railways, Jayalalithaa said the state was willing to enter into MOU with railways based on a mutually agreed priority