Chennai, May 28 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday reiterated his demand for the retrieval of Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka, asserting that it remains the only lasting solution to the recurring issues faced by Tamil Nadu’s fishermen.

Speaking at a government function held in Tiruvottiyur near Chennai, Stalin recalled the recent special resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, which urged the Union government to reclaim the islet.

He pointed to the sustained hardships suffered by the fishermen community due to frequent arrests and seizure of boats by the Sri Lankan Navy.

“In the past four years alone, 1,383 fishermen have been arrested, and 185 boats confiscated across 97 incidents by the Sri Lankan Navy. I have written 76 letters to the Prime Minister and the Union Minister for External Affairs, seeking the release of these fishermen and their boats,” Stalin said.

He noted that the persistent efforts of the DMK and its alliance MPs in Parliament have borne fruit.

“Only because we have been continuously raising this issue, 1,354 fishermen have been released so far. We are actively pursuing the release of the remaining 29. However, since 2018, 229 boats have yet to be returned by the Sri Lankan government,” he added.

While underscoring the political and diplomatic efforts, the Chief Minister also detailed the financial support provided by his government to affected fishermen.

“We initially provided Rs 5 lakh each to 129 owners of mechanised boats and Rs 1.5 lakh each to 26 owners of country craft. This compensation was later increased to Rs 6 lakh and subsequently to Rs 8 lakh,” he said.

At the event, Stalin inaugurated 13 infrastructure projects valued at Rs 596 crore and launched several initiatives aimed at improving the lives of the fishing community in the Palk Bay region.

Among these was the launch of ‘Alaigal’, a microfinance scheme targeting women’s self-help groups. Welfare assistance amounting to Rs 10 crore was also distributed to over 2,200 beneficiaries.

Highlighting the government’s commitment to improving fishing infrastructure, the Chief Minister announced that of the seven fishing harbours planned at a total cost of Rs 258 crore, four have been completed and are now operational, with work progressing on the remaining three.

The event was attended by Ministers Anitha R. Radhakrishnan and P.K. Sekarbabu, North Chennai MP Kalanidhi Veeraswamy, several MLAs, including K.P. Shankar, S. Sudharsanam, R.D. Shekar, Thayagam Kavi, Durai Chandrasekar, Katharbatcha Muthuramalingam, M.K. Mohan, Joseph Samuel, J.J. Ebenezer, Idream R. Murthy, and senior government officials.

–IANS

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