Kolkata, Jul 26 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday handed over cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of fishermen who were killed in a recent trawler tragedy off the Purba Medinipur coast and vowed to strengthen maritime safety.
He assured them of one government job per bereaved family.
The CM said the government would consider setting up coastal control rooms and would strengthen coordination with the Indian Coast Guard for faster emergency response.
Addressing the families at Ramnagar in Purba Medinipur district, Adhikari said the state government would ensure that widows and children of the deceased receive benefits under various welfare schemes.
“I have instructed the BDO to ensure that widows who have not yet been covered under the ‘Annapurna Bhandar’ scheme are included. Our widow pension is Rs 1,500, while the ‘Annapurna Bhandar’ scheme provides an eligible woman Rs 3,000. Necessary arrangements will be made so that they get the benefit,” he said.
Adhikari also announced educational assistance for the children of the deceased fishermen.
“Under the Mission Vatsalya scheme, children studying up to the age of 18 will receive a scholarship of Rs 4,000. The local MLA will oversee the implementation,” he said.
Fifteen fishermen from Shankarpur had ventured into the Bay of Bengal, and their trawler met with an accident in deep sea earlier this month. Eleven bodies have been recovered so far, while search operations for the remaining missing fishermen are continuing.
The chief minister handed over cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and assured them that “one member from every affected family would be employed as a home guard or civic volunteer under the state government”.
Adhikari also announced a series of initiatives aimed at improving the safety of fishermen operating in deep sea.
“We tried to understand what more can be done to improve safety. If required, we will seek guidance from the Coast Guard. Providing advanced technology alone is not enough. We also need a proper control room,” he told reporters.
The chief minister said coastal police stations would also be upgraded.
“Coastal police stations have been created, but they do not have adequate manpower or modern equipment. Skilled personnel and modern resources will be provided to these police stations,” he said.
Adhikari also announced plans to strengthen the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
“After the Taratala warehouse collapse, we decided to build a stronger State Disaster Response Force. There will be one team in Kolkata, one in the hills, one in the Sundarbans and a 50-member team equipped with modern equipment in Digha. I will issue the necessary directions to the principal secretary and the DGP so that similar teams remain prepared for emergencies in Shankarpur,” he said.
Adhikari said the fisheries department was accelerating the installation of advanced two-way MSS transponder systems on fishing trawlers to improve communication and tracking at sea.
A senior official at the state secretariat said the wireless tracking device enables communication with vessels operating up to 200 nautical miles from the coast and can also provide information on fishing zones and environmentally sensitive areas.
More than 200 fishing trawlers operating from Digha and Shankarpur have already been fitted with the system, and the installation drive will continue across the state’s fishing fleet, he said. PTI SCH BDC
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