The Palghar district administration will hold a stakeholders’ meeting on September 8 to present a draft compensation and welfare package for fishermen affected by the Vadhvan Port project.
The meeting will include representatives of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), local residents, members of the fishing community and other stakeholders. The proposed package will be discussed with participants before it is submitted for final approval.
Authorities said several rounds of consultations have already been held with fishermen, along with discussions involving the Fisheries Department. A JNPA-commissioned field survey examining the dependence of local families on fishing was delayed because of limited participation from some sections of the community. The administration has since intensified its outreach efforts, following which JNPA submitted a draft package based on available survey findings and subsequent consultations.
Revised Compensation Proposed
The proposed payouts are based on the State Government Resolution of March 9, 2023, which categorised affected fishermen under four groups, C1 to C4. The compensation rates have now been updated using the Consumer Price Index through 2025.
Under the draft, fishermen operating within port limits would receive Rs 14.15 lakh for one-day Dol Net fishing and Rs 15.72 lakh for multi-day Gill Net fishing. For those operating outside port limits, the proposed compensation stands at Rs 7.08 lakh and Rs 7.86 lakh respectively.
Traditional fishermen manually collecting fish and shellfish would be eligible for ₹4.90 lakh, while those dependent on subsistence fishing would receive Rs 2.45 lakh. A two-fold multiplier has been proposed for the more vulnerable C3 and C4 categories.
Welfare Fund Doubled to Rs 100 Crore
The package also proposes increasing the fishermen’s welfare fund from Rs 50 crore to Rs 100 crore. The additional support is intended for livelihood enhancement, skill development, fisheries infrastructure and community development initiatives.
A Rs 250-crore fishing harbour is also proposed in partnership with the Maharashtra government. The facility is expected to provide safer berthing, fish landing and marketing infrastructure.
Another Rs 100-crore proposal seeks to upgrade five government Industrial Training Institutes in Palghar into Centres of Excellence offering training in modern fishing practices, fisheries technology and maritime safety.
Palghar Collector Dr. Indu Rani Jakhar said the port’s development must be accompanied by protection of fishermen’s livelihoods.
“The development of Vadhvan Port should go hand in hand with the welfare of the local fishing community and the long-term security of their livelihoods,” Dr. Jakhar said. “The administration will continue its efforts to establish a fair, transparent and evidence-based rehabilitation and compensation framework with the interests of the fishing community at its centre.”
The September 8 meeting is expected to play a key role in finalising the package before it moves for approval.
Source: The Free Press Journal
