This is in reference to the esteemed fisheries minister’s promise to revive the diesel subsidy for fishing trawlers. As a concerned citizen, my question is: who is benefiting from these subsidies? Once the fishing season starts, there is a queue of trucks with out-of-state number plates on roads leading to fishing jetties, waiting to transport the catch out of state.
So, while we are misled into thinking that such subsidies might make fish more affordable for Goans, all they do is take money from Goan taxpayers and benefit traders and neighbouring states. Supply and demand then artificially inflate fish prices for Goans. It would be interesting to know who the stakeholders are pushing for these subsidies.
