5 Lakh Is an Insult...Jagan Demands 1 Crore for Every Family

YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday questioned the Chandrababu Naidu-led government over its alleged delayed response to the recent fishing boat tragedy off the Visakhapatnam coast.

Jagan visited Jabbar Thota in Visakhapatnam, where he met the families of the deceased and missing fishermen, consoled them, and enquired about the circumstances surrounding the accident. The grieving families narrated their ordeal to the former Chief Minister before he addressed the media.

Speaking to reporters, Jagan said that seven fishermen had ventured into the sea for fishing on July 1 and that the accident occurred just 10 miles from the coast. He said one of the fishermen, Chinna, had called his family on July 4 to inform them that they were returning home, but the boat met with an accident shortly after the call.

Expressing anger over the government's handling of the incident, Jagan alleged that even the Fisheries Department officials failed to respond promptly despite being alerted. He claimed that messages informing authorities about the accident were sent to the District Collector and the Marine Circle Inspector around 10:30 pm on the night of the incident.

"If the authorities had responded immediately, the fishermen could have been traced within hours. Had the Coast Guard been deployed without delay, at least five lives could have been saved," Jagan alleged.

He noted that Chinna was eventually rescued by the crew of a Chinese vessel on July 5. Jagan also questioned the credibility of the three-member committee constituted by the government to investigate the incident, alleging that it was formed only because mistakes had been committed.

"The committee's report is full of inaccuracies. Does the Chandrababu government have any humanity?" he asked.

The former Chief Minister further alleged that no government official visited the victims immediately after the tragedy. He claimed that none of the ministers from North Andhra or even the Fisheries Minister had visited the bereaved families.

"Shouldn't the Chief Minister have instructed his ministers to visit the victims? If the administration had acted overnight, these fishermen might have survived," he said.

Jagan criticised the compensation announced by the government, calling it inadequate. He demanded an ex gratia payment of ₹1 crore to each of the seven affected fishermen's families.

He also assured the families that if the YSRCP returned to power, his government would provide assistance within a month.

Recalling his previous tenure as Chief Minister, Jagan said his government had stood firmly by the fishing community. He said the promises made to fishermen during his 2018 Praja Sankalpa Yatra were fulfilled and highlighted that fishermen stranded in Pakistan had been safely brought back during the YSRCP regime.

Highlighting initiatives undertaken during his government, Jagan said the YSRCP administration had launched the development of 10 fishing harbours and six fish landing centres across Andhra Pradesh. He alleged that the current government was now attempting to privatise or sell these fishing harbours through scams.

Expanding his criticism beyond the fishing sector, Jagan claimed that no section of society in Andhra Pradesh was satisfied with the present government. He alleged that government school students were yet to receive textbooks and uniforms, farmers were being forced to protest on the streets, and accused Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of "playing with the lives of the people."