Marine Diesel Price Hike From ₹97 to ₹121 Pushes Fishermen to The Brink
The livelihood of thousands of fishing families is at risk
Visakhapatnam: The East Coast Mechanised Fishing Boat Owners Association has raised concerns over the sudden increase in marine diesel prices at fishing harbours across Andhra Pradesh, saying the livelihood of thousands of fishing families is at risk.
The association’s national president, Vasupalli Janakiram, stated that the abrupt rise from `97.72 per litre to `121.42 has caused an unbearable financial burden on both fishermen and boat owners.
Janakiram attributed this hike to a re-classification of marine diesel under the "commercial/industrial" category by the department of Petroleum and APCOF, rather than recognising fisheries as an allied sector of agriculture.
He argued that this reclassification has unfairly penalised the fishing community, which relied
on affordable fuel to sustain its operations.
It said the nearly `24-per-litre increase has left mechanised and motorised boat owners in major financial losses. “Many fishermen are now unable to venture out to sea; and the entire fisheries sector, which supports hundreds of thousands of people, could collapse,” it said.
The association has appealed to the chief minister to intervene and restore diesel prices to their previous level of `97- `98 per litre. They have also pleaded that the government provide a `9 subsidy through diesel subsidy cards to help alleviate the burden.
