Lankan fisheries bill a black legislation: DMK

Chennai: Expressing apprehension over the Sri Lankan Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Amendment) Bill finishing off the livelihood of Tamil Nadu fishermen, besides affecting the Indian fish export policy, the DMK on Sunday urged the Centre to take up the matter with the island nation.

Describing the bill as a “black legislation” DMK working president M.K. Stalin said the legislation is being brought with the intention of finishing off the vocation of Tamil Nadu fishermen. “It will not only affect this state, but also impede India’s fish export policies,” he claimed in a statement here.

The legislation, he said, came at a time when talks between fishermen representatives of both India and Sri Lanka had progressed well on resolving the dispute (over traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen in the Palk Bay).

“It is a matter of concern that Sri Lanka has come up with such a black legislation with an aim to undermine the intention of the talks,” he said. Though Sri Lanka called India a “friendly country,” it was coming up with “such efforts,” and wondered whether the latest move suited the “friendly country” tag. Mr Stalin urged the Centre to exert pressure on Colombo “at a consular or Prime Minister’s level” on the matter. For its part, the state government should take necessary steps.

Stalin writes to Nitin against Kamarajar port disinvestment

M. K. Stalin opposed any move to privatise the “profit-making” Kamarajar Port at Ennore here.

In a letter to Union road transport, highways and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari, on Sunday, Stalin argued that no “prudent administrator” would allow “an economically viable and highly profitable port to be privatised, jeopardising the interests of all stakeholders.”

“As could be seen from the Annual Reports published under the authority of the Union of India, this port is a profit-making institution and it can never be allowed to be trusted in the basket of ports to be privatised,” he said and added that the PSU has been playing a crucial role as an effective and efficient engine of industrial and economic development of the country.

He recalled that the 3,000 acres of land were alloted for the port, which was dedicated to the nation by then PM A.B. Vajpayee and M. Karunanidhi, who was Chief Minister, in 2001. Kamarajar Port’s profit was over '480 crores in 2016-17. “I, therefore, appeal to you to kindly use your good offices and take all steps to desist from divesting the hundred percent shares of the Government of India in Kamarajar Port and stop the move to privatise it,” he urged.