AP Govt Efforts Pay Off: Stranded Fishermen To Reach Home By Bus From Gujarat     

GUJARAT/AMARAVATI: The relentless efforts of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in bringing back the stranded Andhra fishermen stuck in Gujarat has paid off. On Tuesday evening, around 780 fishermen boarded ten buses hired by the AP Government to bring them to the State. They are expected to reach the State on the 30th of this month.

The AP Government on Monday, allocated Rs 3 Crore funds for the evacuation of these fishermen from Veraval, a major fishing harbour in Gujarat. Special buses have been hired to transport them to the State.

Gujarat authorities have conducted mandatory COVID-19 protocol health checks and issued passes to these fishermen, who will be the first batch to be evacuated. These 780 persons are mainly from Srikakulam district.

Since the announcement of the lockdown on March 24, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, more than 5,000 fishermen mainly from Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts were stranded in Gujarat without any income or essential food supplies.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy earlier spoke to Gujarat’s Chief Minister Vijay Rupani twice and sought his help to bring back the stranded fishermen and also over providing food, blankets and accommodation to the fishermen.

He also spoke to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and sought her help, to bring the fishermen back to AP to which she had responded positively.

The AP Chief Minister had earlier issued orders to State officials to distribute Rs 4,000 each to the families of the stranded fishermen for their sustenance.

Also Read: AP Govt Releases Rs. 3 Crore To Get AP Fishermen Back To State