Jaya announces Rs 1 lakh each to families of jailed fishermen

Jayalalithaa had sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in securing the release of 16 Tamil Nadu fishermen lodged in a jail in Iran.

Chennai: Two days after seeking the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in securing the release of 16 Tamil Nadu fishermen lodged in a jail in Iran, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each to their families. "I have ordered that Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Minister`s Relief Fund be given to each of the family members of the fishermen, considering their poor financial background," the Chief Minister said in a statement here.

On July 28, Jayalalithaa had sought Singh`s immediate intervention to secure the release and repatriation of 16 Tamil Nadu fishermen, lodged in a jail in Iran since December 2012 after they accidentally ventured into that nation`s territorial waters. She had pointed out that they did not have access to legal aid and continued to languish in jail, even after having served their term, due to lack of resources to pay the fine. PTI