Team Herald
PANJIM: Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyekar has recommended to the State government the suspension of Fisheries Director Shamila Monteiro, over alleged irregularities and delay in distribution of Radio Frequency Identification Cards to fishermen.
The minister asked that payment to the agency, which was contracted to supply the cards to the fishing community, be held back. “I have recommended the government suspend Fisheries Director Shamila Monteiro over irregularities in the RFID card issue and various other issues which I do not want to disclose right now. I have sent a letter to the Secretary (Fisheries). He will take action,” Palyekar told Herald.
Monteiro was pulled up last month for the delay in distribution of the cards. Fisheries Secretary Govind Jaiswal had also issued a show cause notice to the her stating, “It has been observed that RFID cards to fishermen are supposed to be issued before August 1, 2017 as the season starts, but it has been delayed by the department. The Minister of Fisheries has taken a serious note of the matter and instructed to issue the show cause notice.”
The matter was raised during the monsoon session of Assembly wherein the opposition had alleged delay in issue of the cards, in absence of which fishermen were not allowed to venture into the sea despite the end of fishing ban period.
Palyekar had admitted to the delay and assured an inquiry. “I got the file for approval from the department on August 4 and after its study, I observed that there are several irregularities in it. Also for the last two years there has been delay in distributing these cards, which are supposed to be made available before the commencement of the fishing season,” he was quoted as saying in the Assembly.
