The Government schemes for the benefit of the fishing community in the State have not reached the fishers in Ganjam district, while fish production has remained almost static in last five years.
Thousands of fishers have been hit by the Olive Ridley turtle conservation programmes. While they have lost their livelihood due to the imposition of a ban on fishing, they are deprived of alternative livelihood, health care facilities and scholarships to their children. Similarly, no fisherman has been given FRP boats in the coastal villages — Purunabandha, Gokharkuda and Podampeta, where a huge concentration of fishers is found.
According to social activist Mangaraj Panda, the BPl-specific programmes are not reaching the fishermen community. Besides, no special development measure has been implemented including special PDS assistance, health care facilities and student scholarship for the fishermen folk.
Notably, the fishermen are unable to do the fishing activities at the time of mass nesting and breeding of the Olive Ridley turtles and during the rainy season, which take around six months a year. Drinking water facility and Pucca roads are still a daydream for these fishermen.
Rushikulya Turtle Protection Committee secretary Ravindranath Sahu said only a few houses are being constructed at Podampeta village in Kantiagargh block under the Mo Kudia Yojana. However, many houses which have been approved of are yet to be taken up under the project.
Around 42,000 marine fishermen are working in Ganjam district producing 11,171 MT of fish per annum. This apart, the annual fish production from fresh water sources is 32,000 MT.
Fisheries deputy director Anirudha Panigrahi said, “The annual fishing production in Ganjam is almost static in last five years. However, in order to increase the production, inland area development programmes are being conducted and protein for fishes is provided under the National Mission for Protein Supplement programme. Besides, 20 per cent subsidy is provided to the fishermen to buy it.”