A total of 661 fishermen continue to remain missing in the aftermath of cyclone Ockhi, as per the figures available with the Union Government, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed Parliament on Wednesday.In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the minister said 400 fishermen were missing from Tamil Nadu and 261 from Kerala in the cyclone that struck the coastal districts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu on November 30.In the rescue operations carried out by the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Air Force, 821 fishermen were rescued.Other agencies, including merchant vessels and trawlers, rescued 24 people.Among the fishermen saved, 453 were from Tamil Nadu, 362 from Kerala and 30 from Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands.Sitharaman said advisories were issued to merchant vessels through the International Safety Net for rendering assistance to stranded fishing boats or distressed fishermen while transiting through the cyclone area.The Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN) was used to maintain communication with all the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) units operating close to the coast for better SAR coordination.
Also, continuous communication was maintained with the local fishing associations and inputs received from them were factored in the SAR plans.The minister said the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard were in continuous liaison with the state governments of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands for conduct of search and rescue operations.CPI-M to hold 'Solidarity Day' to denounce 'BJP plot' (18:16)
Agartala/Kolkata, Dec 27 (IANS) The CPI-M's West Bengal state committee will observe a "Solidarity Day" on Thursday in Kolkata to protest the "BJP's conspiracies" in Tripura and its "violent activities to undermine the law and order situation" in the poll-bound state, party sources said here on Wednesday.Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also held "padyatras" on Wednesday in all the 60 assembly constituencies across Tripura to protest the "misgovernance and deteriorating law and order situation" in the state.
Tripura BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb said 25 legislators from neighbouring Assam also took part in these "padyatras"."The West Bengal state committee of the CPI-M would on Thursday hold a 'Solidarity Day' in Kolkata..." the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)'s Tripura state committee sources said."CPI-M politburo member and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar would be the key speaker at a public meeting to be held as part of the 'Solidarity Day'."The sources said the West Bengal state committee of the CPI-M would raise a "Tripura Solidarity Fund" and the fortnight-long fund-raising drive would start at different places in Kolkata and other parts of the state from Wednesday itself.Meanwhile, taking part in a "padayatra" in Tripura on Wednesday, state BJP chief Biplab Kumar Deb alleged that the ruling CPI-M cadres were attacking the BJP workers in different parts of the state almost every day.
"Several BJP members have been killed in the past few weeks in Tripura. CPI-M cadres are behind these killings. Police remained totally inactive and are shielding the killers. The CPI-M has targeted its violent activities against the BJP from Kerala to Tripura," Deb said and warned the Left party to desist from violence against the BJP workers.Denying the BJP charges, CPI-M central committee member Gautam Das said the BJP was trying to come to power through the back door and concocting issues to obtain electoral mileage before the February elections."Even in case of an unnatural death or one killed due to personal rivalry or a family dispute, the BJP gives those a political colour and starts an agitation," Das told the media.