Panaji (Goa) In what could be the first time in the history of Directorate of Fisheries, the Goa government has issued a show cause notice to the director demanding an explanation over the delay in issuing Identity Cards to fishermen.
The notice returnable by this evening was issued to Fisheries Director Shamila Monteiro on directions from Fisheries Minister Vinod Paliencar last evening.
“It has been observed that ID cards to fishermen is supposed to issue before August 1, 2017 as season starts but it has been delayed by the Department. The said proposal has been delayed to put up to the government by concerned dealing officer. The Minister (Fisheries) has taken seriously view of the said matter and has directed to issue Show Cause notice to the Director (Fisheries) for the delay in is using ID cards to tell fishermen, ” reads the show cause notice signed by Secretary Govind Jaiswal .
Besides Monteiro the concerned dealing officer has also been asked to submit their replies within 24 hours, that ends this evening failing which action will be taken accordingly.

Paliencar had recently said that an inquiry would be conducted, through the fisheries’ secretary, into the irregularities in delay in issuing radio-frequency identification (RFID) cards to fishermen and trawler crews who fish in the high seas. His assurance followed by the action comes in view of allegations by MLAs Churchill Alemao and Francisco Silveira on the concluding day of the monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly on August 7.

Over 1000 crew members are attached with different trawlers across the fishing jetties in Goa of whom nearly 99 percent are non-Goans. In absence of the cards they have not been venturing into the sea for fish catch, as it would lead to penal action. The fishing season began on August 1 after a two month long ban.
Team TNV