2 weeks ago
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Even as three years have passed after Ajmeersha, a fishing boat from Beypore, went missing with 16 migrant fishermen onboard, no aid has reached the families of the missing persons as the State government is yet to complete formalities.
Functionaries of All Kerala Fishing Boat Owners Association said the fishermen’s families had received only a meagre sum mobilised by the local fishermen and boat operators from Beypore.
It was on May 5, 2021, that the boat left the Beypore harbour with 11 persons from Tamil Nadu and four from West Bengal for deep-sea fishing. The boat owners came to know that the vessel was missing on May 16. It was reportedly hit by Cyclone Tauktae. According to the owners, the fishermen were in touch with them till May 13.
For over 10 days, rescue squads including the Indian Coast Guard and the Navy had carried out a search off the Malabar coast for the missing crew. Of the missing persons, 12 from Tamil Nadu were close relatives. They were part of the Beypore fishing team for several years.
“According to officials, the main reason for the delay in processing compensation is the absence of evidence to establish that boat had gone missing. No bodies or parts of the vessel had been recovered by rescue operators. We are helpless to tackle this,” said K.T. Shamsudheen, one of the owners of the boat. He pointed out that there were no proper follow-up investigations into the incident.
He added that he had invested ₹85 lakh for purchasing the boat. “No compensation was announced by the Central or State governments though we met State ministers and other senior Fisheries department officials. As the owner, I am in huge debt,” he lamented.
