(MENAFN - IANS) p>Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 20 (IANS) Trouble seems to be mounting for the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government after the Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday came out with a picture of a meeting between the state s Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty and a US-based firm on a proposed project of handing over the deep-sea fishing in the state to the latter.
However, Mercykutty denied the allegation of any such meeting and said that Chennithala has lost his bearings as he came out with this project on Friday. On Friday, both Mercykutty and the state s Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan replied that they are not aware of any such company. Now I have released this picture of Mercykutty having discussions will be releasing two more documents which say that a four acre plot of land was handed over to this US firm. If needed I will release the meeting pictures among Mercykutty and those US officials, the the Opposition leader said.
March planned to Mercykutty’s house demanding cancellation of ‘pact’ with U.S. firm
A fishing hartal will be observed on Kerala’s coastline on February 27 under the banner of the newly formed Matsya Mekhala Samrakshana Samiti, demanding cancellation of the ‘‘Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)’’ between the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) and a U.S.-based company to build 400 trawlers to be deployed off the Indian coast for deep-sea fishing.
The decision on the hartal was taken here on Saturday evening following a meeting of fishers’ unions (barring those affiliated to the CPI(M), CPI, and the BJP), boat owners’ associations, representatives of traditional fishermen, and people’s representatives led by Hibi Eden and T.N. Pratapan, MPs.