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Contrary to the govt's claim, documents obtained through an application filed under the RTI Act has confirmed that the Kerala CMO and senior bureaucrats had advance knowledge of the controversial MoU on deep-sea fishing.
The Left government had decided to cancel a Rs 5,000 crore MoU between KSIDC and the EMCC International, against which the Opposition Congress has been raising serious allegations.
The company executives insisted that the ministers in the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala were well aware of the deal and its implications, but are feigning ignorance after the opposition vehemently opposed it.
The decision reportedly followed a direction from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had earlier dismissed the opposition charge saying no foreign company will be allowed to engage in deep sea trawling in the state waters.
The Coast Guard and marine enforcement personnel are carrying out the search operations. The help of the Navy has also been sought.
The crisis caused by COVID-19 and the lockdown provides an opportunity to think out of the box regarding the future of marine fisheries.
According to the agreement reached at the discussion, all the catch would be purchased and sold by Fisheries Department and Matsyafed without conducting auction till the lockdown is lifted.
The police have seized the boat, the fishing net and the chemical substances used by the miscreants.
A planned Bill envisages central government's licence for all types of fishing vessels in addition to the state registration.
What troubled the Coast Guard was China-made Automatic Identification System tansponders