Representational image  |  Photo Credit: PTI
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to recall the advertisement published for auctioning state’s fishing boats on “which they do not have any legal rights”.
In a letter to PM Modi, Stalin asked the Centre to register disapproval in the “strongest possible terms” at an appropriate level against the move.
“I write this letter with a deep sense of disappointment about the process initiated by the Department of fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Government of Sri Lanka for auctioning 105 fishing boats belonging to the fishermen of Tamil Nadu. These boats are In the custody of Sn Lankan authorities and are slated to be auctioned from 7.02.2022 to 11.02.2022. This unfortunate development has come at a time when the Indo-Sn Lankan Joint Working Group on Fisheries Is due to meet again shortly,” the letter read.
He said that the Sri Lankan government’s decision has created “alarm and distrust” among the Tamil Nadu fishermen who have come forward with an accommodative frame of mind to find an amicable solution for this long pending issue.
“The tearing hurry to conduct an auction without consultation is bound to derail the efforts of the Indian High Commission and the Government of Tamil Nadu aimed at providing some succour to the poor fishermen who have lost their means of livelihood. It is pertinent to note that these unsalvageable fishing boats were released by various Sri Lankan courts following due judicial procedure,” Staling said.
The Tamil Nadu CM also requested the Centre to continue the efforts for the transparent disposal of 125 Tamil Nadu boats that were apprehended before 2018. “It is also requested to ensure the early release of 75 boats and fishing pears apprehended after 2018 by the Sri Lankan Navy,” he said.