TN Govt sanctions Rs two lakh each to four fishermen

Chennai, Jun 26 (PTI) Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned Rs two lakh each to four fishermen from the state, who recently returned home after being released by Iran authorities who had earlier arrested them for alleged maritime boundary violation.

“Considering their family situation and to enable them start a new life, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has directed that a sum of Rs two lakh be paid to each of the four fishermen,” a government release here said today.

The assistance will be made from Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.

The release stated that the four persons, hailing from Kanyakumari district, had been contracted by a UAE-based company and that they had ‘drifted’ into Iranian waters in February while fishing at Ajman following which they were arrested.

The state government had taken up with Centre their release and they had been subsequently freed in April, it recalled, adding the four persons had reached Tamil Nadu on May 1, 2016.