Members of the All India Fishermen’s Association staged a dharna in front of the District fisheries office here on Monday demanding immediate payment of Rs.20,000 as fishing ban period allowance.
Association Central Committee Member Ch Ramani while addressing the demonstrators alleged that previously fishing ban allowance used to be credited to the fishermen’s accounts within 15 to 20 days of the fishing ban period but now even after four months, not even a single rupee was paid to them.
Association district unit leader Uppada Satyanarayana appealed to the government to pay the fishing ban period allowance to all the eligible fishermen without linking it to the white ration cards.
He warned that fishermen would be forced to take up an agitation if the allowance is not paid without further delay. Later a delegation called on the district fisheries office Superintendent and presented a memorandum.