Facing backlash over deep sea fishing mission, Kerala drops MoU with agency

In a bid to wriggle out of the raging controversy over an alleged deep sea fishing take care of a US agency, the CPI(M) authorities on Wednesday repealed the Memorandum of Understanding for the Rs 5,000-crore mission.
This comes after the federal government cancelled one other MoU with the identical agency for manufacturing of 400 deep sea fishing vessels and growth of fishing harbours at a price of Rs 2,950 crore.
The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, an funding promotion entity beneath the Industries Department, had inked the take care of EMCC International India Pvt Limited, an Indian arm of EMCC Global Consortium on February 28 final yr “for upgradation and promotion of deep sea fishing and related activities”.

Protests have been rising among the many fishermen neighborhood, and the Congress-led UDF is gearing up for an enormous agitation towards the federal government within the coastal areas.
The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council had additionally demanded that the federal government ought to withdraw the deal which was inked with out factoring within the issues of the fishermen — a large chunk are Catholics.
The Opposition, which alleged an try to dump marine wealth to corporates, plans to proceed with the agitation.

On Wednesday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi additionally raised the problem throughout an interplay with fishermen in Kollam.