Team Herald
PANJIM: The government bowed down to the demands of the traditional fishermen community and agreed to a magisterial inquiry into the police lathi charge on them as well as a probe of the role SP Kartik Kashyap played in allegedly ordering the lathi charge without the mandatory approval of sub divisional magistrate.
The announcement came following a meeting between Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and members of Goencho Ramponkarancho Ekvott at his official residence at Altinho on Saturday. Parsekar has sought a report on the matter within one month.
The fishermen, earlier upset with Parsekar for walking out of a meeting held at Secretariat on Friday without any assurance, had sought another meeting to spell out their grievances and seek a concrete solution from the government.
“He (CM Parsekar) has assured us to hold a magisterial inquiry into the entire incident including Kashyap’s role. The report will be submitted to the government in one month,” GRE president Agnelo Fernandes said on emerging from the meeting that lasted for about 10-15 minutes. The delegation had demanded a judicial probe.
The fishermen also reiterated their demand to crackdown on fishing vessels using LED lights. Parsekar assured to rope in the services of the Coast Guard and marine police to assist in patrolling by the Fisheries Department. Asked whether they were convinced with the response, Fernandes said they would wait for another two days to ascertain what action is being taken on the violators.
Over 500 fishermen had blocked channels on Rivers Mandovi and Sal on Wednesday pressing for a ban on LED light fishing by trawlers, bull trawling and use of China made engines on trawlers.
On Thursday, the situation turned violent when agitators blocked roads following which the lathi charge was ordered.
The SDM has denied giving any order with allegations that SP Kashyap ordering ‘clear them’. Several fishermen were arrested and canoes – parked alongside River Mandovi – seized. Those arrested were subsequently released on bail.
Parsekar denied there was a lathi charge, justifying that it was an attempt to clear the crowd.
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Fisheries Dept inspects Cutbona trawlers for LED lights
CUTBONA: In view of the ban on LED lights for fishing, the Fisheries Department carried out an inspection of the trawlers at the Cutbona Jetty on Saturday.
Fisheries Inspector Devanand Lone, along with officials from the coastal police, carried out the inspection amidst demands from ramponkars that the government ensures that LED lights and other banned equipment, including a type of generator, were removed. Ramponkars were present at the jetty during the inspection. Lone said that 18 boats had been inspected and his team would submit a report to the Fisheries Department.
Sources stated that generators and LED lights had been found on some boats.
Cutbona Boat Owners’ Union president Savio D’Silva, who has spearheaded the agitation against LED lights at Cutbona, demanded that the purse seiners immediately comply with the notification of the Fisheries Department and remove the LED lights.
D’Silva said that countries like Indonesia were now suffering from mass depletion of fish in the sea and compared the damage that was caused by LED lights to the damage caused by mining. He added that, as president, he had also demanded that the LED lights be removed from the trawlers operating at Cutbona at the earliest.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Saturday evening, South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar welcomed the magisterial inquiry by the government into the lathi charge on ramponkars in Panjim recently.
