The state government will soon convene a meeting of fisheries ministers of all maritime states besides their counterpart in the Union Government to work out a fishing policy at the national level. Addressing a press conference on Monday, Minister of State for Fisheries and Ports Pramod Madhwaraj said the meeting will be held in Bengaluru soon. He said the national policy should benefit the entire fishing community irrespective of the state in which they reside. Madhwaraj said his department will soon streamline the inland fisheries sector to weed out the menace of middlemen. Compensation hiked. He said the state government has hiked compensation paid to families of fishermen who lose their lives while fishing in seas, from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. The state government had saved Rs 20 crore after direct benefit transfer was introduced last year for providing diesel subsidy to fishermen. The minister said the state government will seek more grants from the Centre for development of ports.
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