'Fishermen Cooperative Society to be developed on modern lines'

The Administrator of the Fisherman Cooperative Society (FCS) Limited, Tahir Dada, on Friday vowed to develop the society on modern lines to generate at least Rs 3.5 billion revenue a year. Addressing the fishermen's gathering at the Convention Hall, he said that since he took over the society as administrator on December 5, 2008 he had found the administrative issues in a shambles.
"When I was given charge of the society to serve as administrator I inherited a rundown hospital with no facilities to fishermen, mosque's dome, ceiling, flour, and boundary walls were broken and the bank account showed only Rs 0.9 million reserve. That all was the situation," he said.
The FCS bank account should have been at least Rs 200 million before December 5, he said, and added that he and his team collectively had managed to build up funds with 104 percent increase--only from January 1 to January 24. He said that workers had not got two months' salary prior to his joining.
He said that now every one of them had received salaries on time. During the last four years, everything was in wrong direction and it was felt that sooner the society would become bankrupt. But now the situation is under control, he added.
Informing the gathering about hospital renovation and facilities provision, Tahir said that he had sold eight vehicles of the Society for Rs 24.06 million and from that amount he had undertaken the hospital renovation work and provision of basic healthcare facilities to the fisher folk.
However, he warned the workers that stern and quick action would be taken against those found absent from jobs during duty hours. Urging upon them, he said that fishermen should detach the deficient workers who are not only damaging the performance and credibility of the society but also taking away a huge chunk of money through salaries despite being absent from the job.
"I will indeed arrest the 'black sheep' in the society," he asserted, vowing to spend a huge amount on development of the fisheries sector, besides betterment of fisher folk, so that they could live with honour. Elaborating his plan, he said that FCS would be developed as a welfare organisation to help the entire fishermen community and the society earning would also be increased.
Muhammad Ghazanfar Ali Bhutta, GM of FCS, Haif Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Seafood Industries Association, Jamote Shafi Muhammad, Saeed Baloch, General Secretary of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Arsala Khan Niazi and President of Sindh Trawlers Owners & Fishermen Association were present.