Government doing nothing, say fisherfolk

KOCHI: The fisher folk in the state have alleged laxity on the part of the   state government in taking immediate steps to retrieve the bodies of the   three fishermen who died on Thursday after a ship hit their boat in the deep sea.The agitated and worried fishermen alleged that the government was not  taking any initiative despite making tall claims. Most of them fear that  their families would have to face the same condition and fate. Kerala State Fishing Boat Operators Association general secretary Joseph Xavier Kalapurackal said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had promised on   Thursday that the assistance of the Navy would be sought in the search  operations. “But, the Navy has not even started the search which is a clear signal of  the laxity on the part of the state government,” he said. “Oommen Chandy had promised us that he would ask Ernakulam District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth to seek the assistance of the Navy for the   search operations. The Chief Minister had also said that he would contact  Defence Minister A K Antony in this regard. But, it is learnt that A K Antony has not been intimated about this,” he said.  Joseph added that the whole community had been affected by the incident.  “They feel that they would share the same fate. If the government fails to  take immediate steps, the state would have to face agitations,” he added.  Manuel, a fisherman, too vented his ire against the alleged government apathy. “When a fisherman dies in the deep sea, the government should at least make arrangements to bring the dead bodies to the land so that the families can perform the last rites,” he said.   Meanwhile, the fishermen’s associations have demanded proper compensation to  the families of the victims. They said the government should take immediate   steps for retrieving the bodies of the fishermen.