NEW DELHI, Sept 27: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has granted a one-time payment of Rs300,000 to the next of kin of each fisherman being held captive in Pakistan, an official announcement said on Thursday.
It did not say how many fishermen were being held prisoner. Dr Singh, the announcement said, also sanctioned an outright grant of thirty thousand rupees for smaller fishing boats and a grant of Rs 500,000 for trawlers the owners of each boat or trawler seized by Pakistan.
“The grant is being made to ameliorate the hardships caused due to the continued retention of breadwinners in captivity,” it was announced.
