Pulicat fishermen stage protest seeking pay increase, permanent jobs for workers in Kattupalli port

The fishermen said they have lost their livelihoods as the construction of the port led to the dwindling of the fish population; port authorities have not kept their word on providing permanent jobs, they said

Fishermen from 15 villages of Pulicat, on Monday, blockaded the way to the private port in Kattupalli, seeking permanent jobs and pay hikes for the 250 villagers working in the port.

Around 2,000 persons sat on the road leading to the port, shouting slogans demanding better facilities for the staff. “We get only ₹436 per day as pay, which is a dismal amount. We cannot run our families with this income. We were promised jobs, since we lost our livelihood due to the construction of the port. A large population has lost its livelihood since the fish population has considerably dwindled in the Pulicat lake, the Ennore Creek and the backwaters running between these water bodies,” said C. Paranthaman, a local leader.