Minister for Fisheries Abhayachandra Jain has said that the department will try to vacate the stay order on the expansion work of Old Fisheries Harbour at Bunder. He was speaking during his first ever visit to the Mangalore Old Port, after assuming the charge as minister, on Monday.

The phase III construction work which was initially estimated at Rs 57. 60 crore and was revised at Rs 98.25 crore, was brought to a halt as the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal ordered the maintenance of status-quo. Albuquerque Tile Factory Owner Octavia Albuquerque and others filed a petition before the National Green Tribunal claiming that the project was fiing up a creek in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules.

A commission appointed by the NGT would visit the Old Port on June 12 for inspection.

When the fishermen explained the problems caused due to the delay in the expansion work, the Minister said that he would talk to the advocate in Delhi and instruct him to convince the NGT about the need for the harbour expansion.

On the delayed work of dredging the fishing jetty, Jain said that the State government has planned to buy the dredging machines and take up the work on its own, than issuing contract to the dredging firms based in Mumbai. In a meeting of fishing community leaders with the chief minister last month, the fishermen had urged te government to take up the dredging work at the earliest as the delay was creating problem to anchor the boats.  The government is now considering the proposal to take up the dredging work on its own in all the three coastal districts, he said.

Speaking to mediapersons, the minister said that steps have been taken to construct 900 metres long fisheries jetty at Kotepura in Ullal at a cost of Rs five crore.

The project is taken up under the Nabard which is likely to send the approval in one month. In addition, ideal berthing will be developed at fisheries jetty at Bokkapatna against at an estimated cost of Rs five crore.

“A proposal has been sent to the Central government to develop 680 metres long fisheries jetty at Kulai. This has been the demand of fishermen for long. I will ensure that the government clears the proposal at the earliest,” he said.

In a formal programme, cheques as financial assistance for construction of houses to fisher women, life jackets, fishing nets, ice boxes were handed over to the beneficiaries.