With an aim to woo their votes in the assembly elections to be held later this year, Gujarat Congress on Friday announced a slew of schemes for the fishermen in the state.
Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor and former state unit president Arjun Modhwadia said that families of fishermen, languishing in Pakistani jails, will be given Rs 400 per day till their release, should the party come to power.
This will be in addition to assistance of Rs 3 lakh to the family. In case of a fishermen's death in Pakistani jail, the family will be given Rs 10 lakh.
Modhwadia told THE WEEK that around 600 fishermen are languishing in Pakistani jails and about 800 boats are with them.
The party also announced that assistance to the tune of Rs 50 lakh will be given to a person for remaking the boat. This will be applicable for those whose boats have been taken away by the neighbouring country.
The leaders alleged that the NDA has discounted several schemes that were in place during UPA's tenure.
Gujarat has 1,600 kilometre coastline, the longest in the country, and the fishing community has significance in about 32 out of the 182 assembly seats. Majority of these seats are with the BJP. Reaching out to a cross section of the society is very important for the Congress that has been away from power for 27 years.
Giving 36,000 litre of sales tax free diesel every year, 4,000 litres of sales tax free diesel to small fibre boats, insurance facilities for damages incurred during natural calamities and value addition to the catch by setting up processing plants are other salient features.
The Congress leaders also spoke about helping to set up cold storage, on an individual basis, and bringing legislation to prevent waste/pollution in the sea.
