HOUSING PROJECT FOR FISH WORKERS

HOUSING PROJECT FOR FISH WORKERS

Excise and Fisheries Minister K. Babu has said that a project worth Rs. 3,000 crore will be implemented to provide housing to 30,000 homeless fishing workers in the State.Talking after inaugurating the distribution of benefits to the fishing workers at Thoppumpady here on Saturday, Mr. Babu said that ensuring housing to all the homeless fishing workers was a policy of the State government.As many as 800 houses will be constructed under the model fishing village project. Funding will be provided for 1,000 toilets to ensure sanitation in coastal areas for which the beneficiaries will be decided through a draw of lots.

Each fishing worker will be given an assistance of Rs. 1,000 before Onam. The Labour department had formed a separate project by the name ‘Thanal’ for this purpose. Promising projects for the fishing sector had been included in the 12th plan. Welfare benefits from the department will be distributed through bank accounts alone to avoid exploitation by middlemen.The government had cleared the entire subsidy it owed to the Matsyafed. New projects would be implemented for strengthening Matsyafed. The Minister said that the plan fund for the Fisheries had gone up by 37 per cent.

Prof. John Kurakar