Jaya announces jobs for displaced fisherfolk

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Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has made arrangements to provide employment opportunities to the fisherfolk in the Minjur and Kattuppalli areas near Chennai where the Rs 4,000 crore ship building yard and water desalination plants are coming up.
“The L&T has agreed to provide job opportunities to 120 fishermen, including direct employment to 60 members. Besides, 60 others would be absorbed after undergoing training with a monthly stipend of Rs 6,000 (L&T’s share – Rs 1,500 ), which would cost Rs 8 lakh to the government,” chief minister J. Jayalalithaa said in an official release on Sunday.
She said the decision was taken at a recent mee­ting between L&T officials and ministers following her instructions. “The tra­i­ning facility would be set up in three months’ period where another 600 persons would be imparted training for which my government will spend Rs 60 lakh.”
“An agreement to provide jobs to 1,750 residents of 15 villages was reached during the DMK regime, which did not happen. Due to my efforts, jobs were provided to 131 persons after the AIADMK assumed power,” CM said. Following apprehensions raised by the fishermen of their livelihood getting affected, they were promised jobs.
CM has also taken steps to increase the daily wag­es of those empl­oyed in the L&T project. “An incr­ease of Rs 20 to Rs 30 would be given to the employees. 900 fishermen of Kattup­alli vi­c­i­nity would be trai­ned in fisheries and tour­ism trai­ning centres,” she said, adding, “Bus facility to Chennai would be provided from Pulicat.”