News Analysis India

Tag: L Murugan

  • Petrol bunks to be allocated to States for subsidised diesel for fishermen: Union Minister L Murugan

    By Express News Service

    PUDUCHERRY: Petrol bunks will be allocated in the cooperative sector to States for providing subsidised diesel to fisherpersons for operating their boats, said L Murugan, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

    The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is in discussion with the Ministry of Petroleum regarding this matter. Briefing the press at the BJP party office on Monday, Murugan stated that four such petrol bunks have been allotted to Puducherry.

    The Centre had been providing Rs 4,500 for each fisherman — Rs 1,500 a month — during the fish ban period. In coastal States, the State governments are free to provide their own assistance during this period, he said brushing aside criticisms.  

    No shooting of fishermen has taken place since 2014 (since the BJP came to power at the Centre), said Murugan, refuting allegations. Such incidents were prevalent during the Congress-DMK tenure at the Centre with over 600 fishermen having been shot at, he charged.

    According to the Minister, Now, whenever fishermen cross the territorial waters and are captured by the Sri Lankan Navy, they are released and brought back with the Union government’s intervention. Measures are also being taken to get back their boats through joint committee meeting of officials of both nations, explained Murugan

    A new Marine Bill will be tabled soon to take legal action against foreign vessels entering Indian territory, said Murugan adding that consultations are going on in.

    DMK government in Tamil Nadu flayed

    Meanwhile, the Central Minister flayed the DMK government in Tamil Nadu for its ‘failure’ to keep electoral promises. The Chief Minister has maintained silence on the assurance for providing a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 to women from poor households, despite the announcement and has not opened his mouth on it, said Murugan.

    According to Murugan, the promise of equality for all sections of society and removal of untouchability has also gone for a toss in Tamil Nadu. The DMK government has forgotten about it after coming to power with separate crematoriums and burial grounds functioning on the basis of caste, he added.

    Murugan refuted that Governors of States were functioning as BJP representatives and playing a dominating role. He said that the Governor’s were functioning as per the purview of rules.

    Union Territory​ moving towards becoming ‘BEST’ Puducherry

    The Union Territory is steadily proceeding towards becoming BEST Puducherry as envisioned by Prime Minister Modi, said Murugan. This was in response to the Opposition which has been critical of the Central government.

    “All measures have been initiated by the Central and Puducherry government to take Puducherry to the next level,” he said. The Minister was citing infrastructure developments like flyovers and roads, hospitals, schemes under NABARD, Swachh Bharat, Khelo India have been taken up.

    The Minister listed out Centrally-sponsored schemes that have been sanctioned for Puducherry. An investment of Rs 210 crore is planned for the fisheries and port development for Puducherry and Karaikal.

    Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme, Rs 50 crores have been provided to Puducherry for providing subsidies to establish ice plants, processing centres, and modernisation of fish markers.

    Under the integrated fishing village scheme, four villages have been identified in Puducherry for development for which Rs 5 crore was sanctioned. Seaweed parks will be established in eight villages in Puducherry and four in Karaikal, which will pave the way for employment of women, he added.     

  • Kisan Credit Cards to be extended for all fishermen, says Union Minister Murugan

    By PTI

    HYDERABAD: The standard operating procedures (SOPs) for extending the benefits under the Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to all fishermen were getting ready, Union Minister of State L Murugan said here on Sunday.

    “Our government is already issuing Kisan Credit Cards to farmers and we are working for extending that facility to fishermen too”, the Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, told reporters after reviewing the activities of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB).

    “This (KCC) facility has to be extended to all fishermen. Every fishermen has to get this facility and we are working on that and very soon the fishermen will get the KCC. Under Parshottam Rupala ji’s (Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying ) guidance we are taking it forward,” he said adding the SOPs are getting ready.

    The government has plans to increase export of marine food products and five fishing harbours in the country would be modernised to international level with facilities for processing units, cold storage among other facilities, Murugan said.

    He further said a seaweed park would come up in Tamil Nadu.

    “It is a new concept and our government is encouraging seaweed cultivation,” he added.

    NFDB Chief Executive C Suvarna was among other officials who were present.

  • Madhya Pradesh: Congress not to field candidate for RS bypoll; BJP’s Murugan likely to be elected unopposed

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: Union minister L Murugan is likely to be elected unopposed in the Rajya Sabha bypoll from Madhya Pradesh next month as the main opposition Congress has decided not to field its candidate.

    The BJP on Saturday announced Murugan’s name for the bypoll will be held on October 4.

    The vacancy emerged in Madhya Pradesh after the then Union minister Thaawarchand Gehlot resigned following his appointment as Karnataka governor in July this year.

    Talking to PTI on Sunday, MP Congress spokesman Bhupendra Gupta said, “We are not going to field a candidate. MP party chief and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Kamal Nathji has decided not to field any candidate for the RS bypoll in the state.”

    A senior state BJP leader expressed confidence that Murugan would have a comfortable entry to the Rajya Sabha.

    Before Murugan’s name was announced, the name of BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha’s national president Lal Singh Arya, as well as of senior party leaders Kailash Vijaywargiya and Uma Bharti were doing the rounds for the seat in the Upper House of Parliament, according to party insiders.

    In the 230-seat MP Assembly, the BJP has 125 MLAs, while the Congress has 95.

    Besides, two seats are held by the Bahujan Samaj Party, one by the Samajwadi Party and there are four Independents, while three seats are lying vacant Out of the 11 Rajya Sabha seats in the state, the BJP currently has seven and the Congress three.

    Right now, the BJP Rajya Sabha members from the state are M J Akbar, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ajay Pratap Singh, Kailash Soni, Sumer Singh Solanki and Sampatiya Uike.

    The Congress’s members to the Upper House of Parliament from the state are Digvijaya Singh, Vivek Tankha and Rajmani Patel.

    As per the Election Commission, the last date of filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha bypoll is September 22, and last date of withdrawal of nomination is September 27.