Why hasn't Center thought of supplying GPS to fishermen: HC
(Sourced from PTI)
The Madras High Court has directed the Center to file an affidavit explaining the steps taken by it to prevent Indian fishermen from crossing the international maritime boundary line and enter the Lankan waters. The bench asked as to why the Center hasn't thought of supplying GPS to fishermen to help them know the area and the boundary where they can go fishing.
A division bench, comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad, was hearing a plea from Fisherman Care, a non-governmental organization. The petitioner sought to raise the matter of human rights violations committed by the Lankan Navy against Indian fishermen, with the International Court of Justice for taking action against the Lankan Navy for allegedly violating the 1974 pact between the two countries.
The HC bench then posted the matter after two weeks for further hearing. On August 21, the court had directed the Tamil Nadu government to file the status of the plea filed by the former Chief Minister, late J Jayalalithaa, in her capacity as All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary before the Supreme Court in 2008.
Jayalalithaa had sought a direction to the Center to declare as null and void the 1974 and 1976 agreements under which Katchatheevu was ceded, saying the accords were the root cause of the untold misery suffered by Tamil Nadu's fishermen.
