India has achieved 96 per cent coverage in issuing biometric cards to fishermen across the coastal regions of India, the Centre said Tuesday.
Briefing reporters at the end of the 28th meeting of Southern Zonal Council held here, Union Homeminister Rajnath Singh, who chaired the meeting, described it as "very successful and very fruitful."
Of 27 agendaitems, 22 were successfully resolved. The rest would be resolved at the next meeting to be held in Tamil Nadu, whose date has notbeen fixed, Singh said.
"The zonal councilprovides for a common meeting ground for states to promote and facilitate coordinated efforts for fostering economic and social development," he told reporters.
R Buhril, secretary, inter-state council in the Home ministry of home affairs, said, "96 per cent of biometric cards have been given across the country.
The Home ministry is very particular about this because it involves coastal security. This willhelp identifying whether those fishing in high seas are ourlegitimate citizens or not," he said.
Besides state governments, the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and other security agencies have been provided with card readers, he explained.
Issues of scholarship to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes were also deliberated.
Matters related to running a peninsular tourism train, touching all the tourist destinations of south India, was alsodiscussed.
The issue of curbing red sanders logs' smuggling wasalso taken up, but the states could not arrive at a decisionand it was later decided to set up a committee to look into the issue, Burhil said.
The official said matters that could not be resolved included the land dispute between Puducherry and Tamil Nadu hindering the Puducherry airport project and fishing in Pulicat lake on the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu border.
Modernisation of police forces and issues relating to
augmenting drinking water supply to Chennai city were also discussed.
"There were issues relating to coastal fishing in terms of use of antibiotics so that they are used properly, otherwise consignments, particularly for exports, will be rejected.
So, some norms and guidelines have been finalised by the ministry, which is being circulated and the states were requested to adopt these guidelines," Burhil said.
Besides Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, his Puducherry counterpart V Narayanasamy was also present.
Representatives of other southern states too participated.
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