Plea to lift GST on diesel used for fishing boats

Kakinada: The fisher community leaders on Monday, demanded that the government add their community in the Schedule Tribe list for their betterment. They also appealed to the government to lift GST on fuel used by fishers to run their boats.

Addressing a press conference here, the fisher community leader and chairman of National Association of Fishermen, New Delhi, Dr Gajendra Bhanji asked the state government to add their community to ST list.

He urged the government to authorise fishers to have rights on seas because their livelihood was entirely depended on seas.

Dr Bhanji also cited that the farmers had a right on their lands but the fishermen had no right on seas. He said that because of the drilling operations of ONGC and GAIL, a problem of non-availability of fishes emerged. As result, the fishers were losing their livelihood.

He further asked the government to provide jobs to their community.

Fisher community leaders Karri Padma Sri, B Hari, Janaki Ram and Dasari Satyanarayana also participated in the press meet.