Telangana HC Orders Expert Panel to Resolve Fishing Rights Dispute

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has directed the principal secretaries of the animal husbandry, fisheries, social welfare, and Backward Classes departments to constitute an expert committee to evaluate and decide on the occupation by the Besta/Goondla/Gangaputra community and Mudiraj/Mutrasi/Tenugollu community with regard to their fishing rights.

Justice Nagesh Bheempaka of the High Court gave the committee a three-month deadline. He said the committee must restrict its study to fishermen cooperative societies where there is a dispute between Besta /Goondla/Gangaputhra and the Mudiraj/Mutrasi/Tenugollu communities.

The judge was dealing with a batch of petitions filed by fisherman cooperative societies with various grievances like the non-constitution of an expert committee to evaluate fishing occupation and Mudiraj/Muthrasi/Tenugollu communities not getting membership in the fisherman cooperative societies.

Some petitioners also questioned the proceedings of the district fisheries officer to conduct a skill test for fishing.

A few petitioners stated that GO Ms. No. 98, dated 26.01.1964, issued by the revenue department facilitated 29 communities which included Gangaputra and Muthurasi as fishermen to fish in tanks. As such, they were also entitled to membership in the societies being run by the communities of Bestha/Bhoi, Gangaputra, and Goondla.

The cooperative societies constituted by the communities that had got leasehold rights to carry out fishing operations in the respective tanks were not allowing the communities of Mudiraj/Muthrasi/Tenugollu on the grounds that they belonged to the BC ‘D’ group which was meant for garden work.