The Gujarat government has decided to triple its assistance of diesel and kerosene to fishermen for OBM (outboard motor) boats in the current year, from 150 litre to 450 litre, an official release stated on Tuesday.
The decision has been taken following a meeting of Fisheries Minister Raghavji Patel with leaders of the fisherman community in Gandhinagar. Various other issues being faced by the community were also discussed in the meeting.
As per the release, the leaders of the fisherman community had sought a rise in assistance of diesel and kerosene. Accepting their demand, Fisheries minister Patel assured that all OBM boats will be provided 450 litres of kerosene and diesel from the current year.
The minister, however, did not accept a demand raised by the leaders to allow OBM boats to go for fishing during the “closed” season. As per the release, the minister told them that the government was issuing a circular, barring them from fishing during the breeding season. It added that fishing activity during the breeding season could create a problem and that the state’s fish production could go down.