GSPC rig off Andhra coast clicked during Modi’s visit

Mehsana, 9 November, 2011

Gujarat government ‘s Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) offshore rig is facing protests of fishermen from 63 coastal villages and hamlets according to various news reports from Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada.

Fishermen started their agitation by staging dharna in front of the GSPC office in Kakinada. They later submitted a memorandum to collector highlighting their issue that their livelihood had been affected due to the offshore drilling by GSPC. Fishermen warned that they would launch a series of protests, if a solution is not found. They complained that there was no scope for fishing, due to the drilling operations of GSPC for the past two years, and that the livelihood of fishermen community was at stake. The fish catch has gone down by 70 per cent, fishermen complained.

There’s political tint too in this issue as former TDP MLA Vanamali Venkateshwar Rao is leading the protesters.

On Monday, about 10,000 fishermen in 500 boats laid siege to the Deen Dayal rig. They were led by Yanam MLA and Matsyakara Aikya Porata Samithi (MAPS) convener, Malladi Krishna Rao, and Mummidivaram MLA, Ponnada Satish Kumar. Cops, Coast Guard and marine police personnel stopped the protesters, though after some time, the fisherfolk were back.

The fishermen will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union petroleum minister S Jaipal Reddy on November 10,11 to highlight their plight, said Mummidivaram MLA Ponnada Satish Kumar.