Sri Vijaya Puram, Apr 01: Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Member of Parliament, A&N Islands has urged the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration for immediate intervention to resolve the ongoing crisis at the Modern Fish Market, Mohanpura, which has severely impacted the livelihoods of local fishermen.
The Modern Fish Market was constructed under the Central Government’s Blue Revolution scheme to provide a space for fish vending. Upon completion, its management was entrusted to the Port Blair Municipal Council through an MoU signed with the Fisheries Department on 15th June, 2020. As per the agreement, Municipal Council was responsible for covering all operational expenses, including electricity and water charges.
However, the Municipal Council handed over the market to a third party. Due to the non-payment of electricity bills from April 2022 to December 2024, amounting to Rs. 12.5 lakh, the electricity department disconnected the market’s power supply on 18th December, 2024 as stated by the fishermen. This has led to financial losses for fishermen as stored fish has spoiled, and daily vending activities have been disrupted.
Despite several efforts to resolve the issue, no action has been taken to restore electricity. Instead, the Municipal Council issued a notice on March 23, 2025, demanding the fishermen to pay Rs. 11,17,044/- as market rent from July 2023 to March 2025 within five days, failing which the market will be sealed. This move threatens the fishermen’s livelihoods while holding no accountability for those responsible for the mismanagement.
In order to resolve the issues and disputes between the Fishermen and Muinicipal Council, the MP has called on the Chief Secretary to take the urgent actions viz. (1) Convene a meeting with all stakeholders, including Fisheries, Electricity, SVPMC, Fishermen Welfare Society representatives, market vendors and the third party, to find an amicable resolution (2) Suspend the notice dated 23rd March 2025 issued by the Municipal Council, to prevent undue financial hardship on the fishermen (3) Hold responsible officials accountable for failing to enforce the MoU’s terms and initiate disciplinary action as per government regulations (4) Ensure that fishermen are not burdened with sudden financial liabilities as it contradicts the objectives of the Matsya Sampada Yojana aimed at supporting the fishing community.
