India to seek release of 81 fishermen boats from Sri Lanka; will file petition soon

The Indian High Commission in Colombo will be filing petitions in various Sri Lanka courts from Thursday, seeking release of 81 boats of Indian fishermen even as the Tamil Nadu government has sent officials to the island nation with necessary documents.

"An official of the Indian High Commission in Colombo in a mail dated February 11, 2015, said petitions seeking to release boats of Indian fishermen were to be filed before various courts in Sri Lanka," according to a state government release.The state government has sent a delegation of officials of the Fisheries Department from Rameswaram along with representations from the owners of these boats, it said.

Once the boats are handed over to the officials, the state government would send recovery teams comprising over 150 fishermen to Sri Lanka with the Centre's permission and bring them back with the help of Indian Coast Guard, it said. "Tamil Nadu government would bear the cost incurred for fuel, food and repair, while the boats are being brought back from Sri Lanka," it said.

The state government has been making efforts to ensure the release of these boats belonging to fishermen from the state and are presently in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities.