Mangaluru: Fisherwomen at State Bank fresh fish market raised concerns over inadequate facilities when Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Dr Nagalakshmi Choudhary interacted with them on Thursday.They said the newly built central market lacked proper ventilation and lighting, and the rent there was high. Having traded at the State Bank market for decades, they asked that they be allowed to continue business at the current location.Dr Choudhary said she would take the matter to the district administration and the govt. She invited fisherwomen representatives to join a meeting with Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner and district-level officials Friday. “The govt will be informed to provide appropriate arrangements based on the written demands of the fisherwomen,” she said. Initially, when Choudhary asked about their problems, the women did not respond. After speaking to a few more, she assured them that if they voiced their concerns, she would ask the authorities to make the necessary arrangements.Later, fisherwoman Yashoda said, “We did business here for many years. If we are relocated elsewhere, we won’t be able to trade. Moreover, the new market doesn’t have the same ventilation and lighting as here, and the rent is high,” she said, as several women agreed.At the dry fish market, fisherwoman Ravikala said they had already been instructed to shift to the new market, but space for dry fish sellers was allotted only in a corner. Women already facing losses would find it difficult to work in such a disorganised area, she said.Fisherwomen also complained of water leakage during the rainy season and theft incidents, and demanded CCTV cameras.Deputy director of fisheries department Dileep Kumar and others were present.
