Hit by fuel hike, fishermen demand budgetary allocation

Hit by increased fuel costs, coronavirus pandemic, heavy drop in marine catch and other issues, leaders of fishermen community from three coastal districts of Karnataka have demanded that the State government come to the rescue of fisheries sector by announcing a package of ₹10,000 crore in the upcoming budget. They said that the hike in fuel costs has resulted in increased operational costs, because of which more than 90% of the mechanised boats have stopped venturing into fishing. To lessen the financial burden, they demanded that the government provide subsidised diesel at the delivery points and reduce taxes.