27-04-2025
Government will fulfil all pre-poll promises: A.P. Industries Minister
Industries and Commerce Minister T.G. Bharath said that the State government will fulfil each and every promise made before the 2024 general elections.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Mr. Bharath said the NDA government has fulfilled its pre-poll promise to enhance financial assistance to the fishermen during the fishing ban period from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday launched the 'Matsyakhara Seva' scheme enhancing the assistance to ₹20,000.
Mr. Bharath said that 1,29,178 fishermen families will benefit from the scheme and the government took the decision to enhance the assistance keeping in view the hardships faced by the fishermen during the ban. He added that the previous government had spent ₹300 crore in the name of 'Fish Andhra', but not a single fisherman family benefitted from it.
The Minister said that it was the then TDP government in 2014 which had introduced the financial assistance to fishermen during the ban. 'With the NDA government coming to power, the lives of the fishermen have changed,' he said.
Mr. Bharath said the TDP government had spend ₹788 crore for the welfare of fishermen during 2014-19. The State government was giving monthly pensions to 68,396 fishermen and also extending an ex-gratia of ₹10 lakh, in case a fisherman died during the period of ban. Further, the government was also giving a subsidy of ₹9 per litre of diesel for the fishermen to run their mechanised boats.
The Minister said that there are 555 fishermen villages in the State and 16.50 lakh people were making a living through the marine sector.
