Rules prevented kin of missing fishermen to claim compensation
Sajana with kid. (Photo: DC)
ALAPPUZHA: Fisheries Minister K Babu’s statement on Saturday that the government had amended the rules that prevented the kin of missing fishermen from claiming compensation has brought a great sense of relief to the families of two missing fishermen from Arattupuzha.
The life of two wives- 25-year-old Sajana and 46-year-old Prasantha- became miserable due to the complexities of the law in recognizing them as widows. The minister said that as per the new rule, a certificate from the Revenue Divisional Officer describing the details of the missing person would be sufficient for claiming compensation up to Rs 10 lakh. S Sabu and Ramesan, who were fishermen in the Xavier Kochuveedan boat, went missing after an unidentified ship rammed into the boat at sea, about 65 nautical miles away from Neendakara on December 19, 2010.
Sajana, wife of Sabu and mother of a four-year-old child, says the amendment in the law will come as a big relief to her and her family.
“We have been denied compensation by the government claiming technical reasons. According to the government’s claim, my husband is still missing after the incident took place when the boat was anchored off sea at 4.30 am. We had approached authorities in order to identify the ship which was involved in the accident but all efforts turned futile. The law did not allow for sanctioning financial support to us,” she says.
Welcoming the government decision, Prasantha, wife of Ramesan, says her family was living under an extremely difficult situation because the authorities did not recognise her as a widow. According to the law, it takes seven long years to declare a missing fisherman dead. “I feel relieved as the government has decided to amend the law. For the last four years, our life was being ruined by the technicalities of the law”, she says.
Expressing deep displeasure for the way she was treated by the authorities, she says the government was still unable to trace the identity of the ship involved in the mishap.
“Some forensic officials had made some attempts to identify the ship in the wake of our repeated request. And the government made just a two-day search operation for the body.
Meanwhile, we conducted a five-day long search operation spending our own money. My younger son stopped studying at plus two because of a financial crunch. My elder son has a small job in an ice factory and the small earning he has is what helps us to sustain life,” Prasantha adds hoping that the government amends the law.
( Source : dc )
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