Visakhapatnam: The state fisheries department is issuing licenses to catamaran, motorized boats and mechanized boats in this district without insisting on insurance coverage.
The question of allowing boats to operate without insurance came up for discussion after the Sunday night’s fire that burned 40 boats and damaged 60 others at the fisheries harbour here.
“This insurance is not mandatory anywhere in the country. We have insurance for human beings and not crafts. However, the national fisheries development board is coming out with a scheme subsiding the premium by 40 to 60 per cent,’’ said state commissioner of fisheries, Kannababu.
As per the proposals, the activities relating to Insurance Premium Subvention for fishing vessels is a part of the central-sponsored Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, under which the government subvention up to 40 per cent of the annual premium amount for general category and 60 per cent for SC/ST/women and rest of the premium will be borne by the beneficiary.
“We cannot force the boat owners to have insurance as the fisheries department is a welfare organisation and not an enforcement department. It is also not included in the AP Marine Fisheries Regulation Act of 1994. We often failed to convince them,’’ said assistant director of fisheries department here, G Vijayalakshmi.
Talking to this correspondent on Tuesday, she said only educated persons and those knowing the importance of insurance covered their boats under the scheme. Their number would be less than 100.
Visakhapatnam district has 2,000 boats, which include catamarans, motorised boats and mechanised boats. All of them were issued licences valid for a period of one year, which automatically gets renewed.
She also said the insurance companies offered high premiums as the boats frequently encountered situations of natural calamities.
President of AP mechanized boat owners association, Janakiram, said boat owners insured during the 1980 – 1985 period and later did not renew the insurance due to the premium costs.
“A 30 lakh worth boat needs to pay Rs 1 lakh as annual premium. This is very high when the harvest is uncertain,’’ Janakiram said.
He thanked the chief minister for announcing the compensation without considering insurance coverage. He appealed to the chief minister in a letter given to regional coordinator YV Subba Reddy to have a government share in the premium for group insurance.
Insurance coverage would lessen the burden on the government in such situations, he said.
Points:
- Insurance not mandatory, says fisheries commissioner
- Boat owners urge CM to have government share in premium
