Fishermen protest over village panels functioning

Nizamabad: The Fishermen Co-Operative Federation members of Nizamabad district on Monday staged a sit-in in front of the District Collectorate here in support of their demands.

Earlier, the members met the officials and complained against the Village Development Committee (VDC) of Jakaranapally village for demolishing the fish market constructed by the Fisheries Department. The members, who came from Jakaranpally and Shivvapoor villages, later staged sit-in. The Jakranpally Federation of Nizamabad Rural Constituency president Madavedi Shankar said the State Fisheries Department had released Rs. 5 lakh to construct fisheries market to cover three villages under Rastriya Krushi Vignan Yojana (RKVY). The Revenue Department had allotted land for the market and Panchayati Raj Department started the construction work of market and even erected pillors. The VDC members of Jakranpally raised objection, claiming that the market was being built on the village common land, he said.

He demanded that the District Collector take action against the VDC members.

The Shivvapoor Fisheries Federation members appealed to the District Collector to protect their livelihood. Federation president Chintala Sailoo said that they eked out a living by fishing. The Federation collected money from members and dug a borewell as the tank in the village dried up. The borwell was intended to save the fish in the tank. But the VDC was coming in the way of Electricity Department providing power connection to the borewell, he said.