Team Herald
VASCO: The All Goa Fishermen Union (AGFU) has threatened to disrupt the forthcoming monsoon assembly session over the government’s failure in giving justice to the aggrieved fishermen who had faced police lathicharge in Panjim some two months ago.
Addressing a press conference at Velsao on Friday, the general secretary of AGFU Olencio Simoes, claimed that the fishermen community from Goa are upset with the way the magisterial probe on alleged police lathicharge on protesting fishermen remained inconclusive.
He said Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had assured that the magisterial probe would completed in 30 days; however, the fishermen community waited for over two months with the hope that justice to aggrieved fishermen would be given but the assumption was wrong.
“It is sad that fishermen who were brutally lathicharged by the police in Panjim have been waiting for justice since last two months. As there is no outcome of probe yet, we have now decided to protest by disrupting proceedings of forthcoming monsoon assembly session” he said.
Commenting on the sword of demolition faced by the 121 residents of katem Baina, Simoes said that the fishermen from Goa are surprised with the way Power Minister and Mormugao MLA Milind Naik did a U-turn on the issue of Baina demolition and the MLA who was once claiming to be their messiah has now refused to help these poor fishermen.
“It was the same MLA who had promised the people of Baina that their houses will not be touched, however now he sings a different tune and has been refusing to help the people in saving their structures. This shows how BJP leaders change their stands according to their needs” he told.
President of AGFU Agnelo Rodrigues slammed the fisheries department on their failure in taking action against trawler owners using LED lights.
on their trawlers.
“After our protest, the fisheries department officials assured that they would take action on trawler owners using LED lights but after inspecting Cutbona jetty and giving some warning, the department officials failed to visit any other fishing jetties due to which more and more trawler owners got encouraged and installed LED lights in their trawlers and are all prepared for fishing season to carryout destructive fishing. We had given 56 names of people who have installed LED lights with the request to take action, however despite assurance by the director of fisheries Goa, they did nothing. We therefore have now resort to go for another protest in days to come but this time we will have violent protest and for any law and order issue, the state government should be responsible” he said.
