Fishermen to get tax-free diesel

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has directed Principal Secretary to Government, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries to enhance the tax-free diesel quota for fishing boats to 400 litres per day and also to provide tax-free diesel at the delivery point.

The decision came after a delegation of fishermen led by Minister Kota Srinivasa Poojari and Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat met the chief minister.

The delegation urged the chief minister to resolve various issues faced by the fishermen as they were reeling under difficult times due to the diesel price hike, shortage of fish and falling prices.

At present, fishermen buy diesel with tax and the tax amount is credited to their bank account later. Noting that the process was cumbersome, members of the delegation appealed to the chief minister to introduce the old system of providing tax-free diesel at the delivery point.

The delegation also sought chief minister’s intervention to provide compensation to the family members of Suvarna Thribhuja boat tragedy victims - which had collided with an INS ship and drowned. A total of seven fishermen in the boat could not be traced through the debris was found.

Chief Minister assured them that he would write to the Union government to provide compensation to the families of the victims.