Ministry of External Affairs Government of India

LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4704
TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.05.2007

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether there has been increasing incidents of attack on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy;

(b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the number of fishermen killed in such incidents;

(c) whether India has taken up the issue with the Government of Sri Lanka during the SAARC Summit;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the outcome therefrom;

(e) whether the State Government of Tamil Nadu has granted solatium to the next kin of the killed fishermen who were killed;

(f) if so, the details thereof;

(g) whether the Union Government also proposes to grant compensation to the next of the kins killed or injured in the incident; and

(h) if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE)

(a) & (b) There have been incidents of firing on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy in the recent past. During January-April 2007, there have been seven such incidents in which three fishermen have been killed.

(c) & (d) Yes. Government have strongly taken up the matter of incidents of firing on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy with the Government of Sri Lanka. The need for the Sri Lankan Navy to act with restraint and for our fishermen to be treated in a humane manner has been repeatedly emphasised to them. In response, the Government of Sri Lanka have denied that their Navy ever enters Indian territorial waters and claimed that their Naval ships were not deployed in areas where the incidents occurred.

(e) to (h) An immediate cash relief of Rs. 1 Lakh is being paid to the legal heir of the deceased by the Government of Tamil Nadu from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund. Apart from this, the family of the deceased fisherman is being paid a sum of Rs. 50,000 under the Fishermen Accident Group Insurance Scheme, if the deceased is a member of any Fishermen Cooperative Society.