The Centre has promised to provide Rs 500 crore every year for setting up infrastructure for deep-sea fishing for Tamil Nadu fishermen who often come under attack from Sri Lankan Navy for venturing into the island nation’s territorial waters. State finance and fisheries minister D Jayakumar said in the assembly on Monday that the state had sought Rs 1,640 crore Central assistance for introducing deep sea fishing. Replying to a calling attention motion moved by leader of opposition M K Stalin on the killing of a Rameswaram fisherman K Britjo, the minister said Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and promised to provide Central funds and also safeguard the lives of TN fishermen. “A team from Chennai called on senior ministers in New Delhi and suggested ways to resolve the fishermen crisis. One of the points we raised was financial support for deep sea fishing. The Centre has promised to prove Rs 500 crore each for three years. The state has to contribute an equal amount for introducing deep sea fishing vessels,” said Jayakumar. Introduction of deep sea fishing will do away with trawlers, which have been clean sweeping sea floor in shallow waters in the Palk Straits. The minister said it was not possible for fishermen to remain within Indian border as there was no well-defined border in sea. “Due to wind and waves, boats get drifted across borders. This cannot be construed as intentional crossing of international border,” said Jayakumar. The minister said the TN team raised the issue of retrieving more than 100 boats of Indian fishermen, which are in Sri Lankan custody. Stalin, while moving the calling attention motion, asked the government to find a permanent solution to the fishermen crisis and said only by retrieving Katchatheevu can the problem be solved. To turn the tables on the DMK, Jayakumar raked up the issue of ceding of Kachchateevu islet to Sri Lanka during the DMK’s tenure in office. As the DMK members protested, Stalin reeled out the measures taken by former chief minister M Karunanidhi to retrieve the islet. “The AIADMK, which participated in an all-party meeting on Katchatheevu issue, refused to sign the resolution. Kalaignar, on the other hand, wrote letters to the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and hit the streets with protests. The issue was raised by our party MPs in Rajya Sabha,” said Stalin.