Kerala plans aquarian reforms

Kochi, May 20 (UNI) Aimed at ushering aquarian reforms and protect the sector, the Kerala Government will bring in a comprhensive legislation soon, State Fisheries Minister S Sarma said here today.

Taking part at a meet-the-press programme, the newly-appointed Minister said the State opposed trawling by foreign vessels and would press the Union Government to revoke the existing licences and not to issue fresh permits to foreign trawlers.

Mr Sarma said he would seek the expertise from the scientists and the fishing community before drafting the new law to safeguard the sector.

On the usual trawling ban during the monsoon, he said a meeting of the concerned including the fishermen organisations would be held in a week to decid on the matter.

Mr Sarma, the lone Minister from Ernakulam district, vowed to take the lead in pushing forward the big projects like LNG Terminal and metro rail for the development of Kochi, the commercial capital.

He asserted that the new government would base its budget and policies on the Left manifesto, that would be implemented phase by phase to rise upto the hopes and huge trust reposed by the voters.

He said the Government would continue the good projects initiated by the previous government and on the smart city project, the interests of the State would be protected.

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