Chhatrapur: Odisha Matsyajibi Forum (OMF) wrote Monday to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik requesting him to waive bank loans taken by fishermen. The body said that their incomes have been severely affected by the lockdown.
For close to a month now, hundreds of fishermen here in Ganjam district have not been able to earn much. The lockdown implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus, has affected their livelihood. They have not been able to go out fishing in their trawlers and boats.
“During lockdown, small shopkeepers have switched over to selling of vegetables to keep their livelihood going. We can’t do that as fishing is our profession and we have been doing it for ages. Now with no income we are not being able to provide food to our families,” rued some fishermen.
Others said they had taken loans to built and repair boats and buy nets. “With no income for the last one month, we have been forced to exhaust our savings. Now we are not in any position to repay our loans,” they informed.
OMF vice-president, M Gumali, along with the body’s Ganjam committee members has written to Naveen Patnaik urging him to look into the matter and help the distressed fishermen.
PNN