The Chief Minister of union territory of Puducherry in India, N. Rangasamy has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the release of fishing boats from the Union Territory, that have been confiscated by Sri Lankan authorities.

In a letter to the Prime Minister on Friday, March 1, 2024, the Chief Minister said fishermen from Karaikal region sometimes crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) due to their ignorance. When this happened, Sri Lankan authorities arrested them and confiscated their fishing equipment. Following this, the fishermen were released due to intervention at the government level, he said.

“The Sri Lankan government has released the fishing boats confiscated till 2019 and those boats have been brought back to Karaikal. However, after 2019, the boats seized by the Sri Lankan authorities are not released. Only the crew members were let off. Around 11 boats are still in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities. I kindly request you to take necessary steps to get the 11 confiscated boats released,” the Chief Minister said in his letter.

The boats under the custody of the Island nation are mechanised vessels, costing cost more than ₹1 crore each. The loss of the boats affected the livelihoods of fishermen badly, the CM pointed out.

Source: The Hindu
--Agencies