Fishermen decry extension of Malpe fishing harbour maintenance contract despite inefficient service

Malpe Fishermen Association urges Fisheries Department to rescind illegal maintenance contract extension, demands fresh tenders.

The Malpe Fishermen Association on Thursday, May 1, urged the Fisheries Department to immediately rescind two year fisheries harbour maintenance extension given to the existing contractor forthwith even as its members have decided not to pay maintenance fee from May 10 onwards.

Association president Dayananda Suvarna told a meeting convened by Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna that the extension of the maintenance contract was illegal and the department should have called fresh tenders. The extension was given despite the Deputy Commissioner endorsing fishers’ complaint of improper maintenance of the harbour by the contractor and threatening to blacklist the contractor.

Mr. Dayananda Suvarna noted that the contractor did not follow any of the contract conditions, including installation of CCTV cameras, deploying security guards, maintaining hygiene, and such other conditions. Absence of adequate security and safety measures was resulting in frequent thefts of the fish catch as well as fishing equipment and damage to vessels. The recent fish theft and the consequent assault on a woman was a black mark on the harbour. Despite all these shortcomings, the Fisheries Department extended the contract unilaterally, he lambasted.

Mr. Yashpal Suvarna said the department has done injustice to the fishers by extending the contract. He demanded the department director to visit Malpe harbour, hold a meeting with fishers’ representatives, rescind the extension and initiate fresh tender process.

The MLA also said there were complaints about the fisheries and the ports departments making attempts to lease out lands intended for fishing activities to other private persons for non-fishing activities. The departments should stop such a move forthwith, he said. Any development plans should be discussed with the MLA and fishers’ representatives, he said.

Fisheries department joint director Vivek and others were present.