Govt offers jobs, ferry service rights to fishermen

Government has assured local fishermen who are opposing the planned memorial of King Shivaji off Mumbai coast that they would be given priority in rights to conduct a ferry service to the spot, so that they can be compensated for any possible income loss.
Government sources today also said that a section of the fishermen had decided not to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit here on December 24 for laying the foundation stone of the memorial.
Fishermen apprehend that the memorial would lead to curtailment of fishing activity in the surrounding waters.
Maharashtra PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil today said, "The fishermen's issues will certainly be solved....We are ready to set up a committee to look into their issues.

The government had assured the fishermen that they or their kin would be given priority for some jobs and for rights of ferry service to the memorial in future, he said.
Representatives of fishermen yesterday met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the ministers Patil, Vinayak Mete and Mahadev Jankar.