Chennai, Jul 11 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government today reasserted its position that the retrieval of Katchatheevu, an islet ceded to Sri Lanka in the 1970s, was the "only solution" to the vexed fishermens issue. Finance Minister D Jayakumar, who also holds the Fisheries portfolio, said retrieval of Katchatheevu was the "topmost agenda" of the state government. Recalling that former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had in her personal capacity moved the Supreme Court for retrieval of the islet, he said the state government had later impleaded itself in the case. "Retrieval of Katchatheevu is the only solution for the fishermens issue," he said. Meanwhile, DMK deputy leader Durai Murugan said that the then Indira Gandhi government had ceded the islet without the knowledge of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, who was Chief Minister then.

Source: India Today July 11, 2017 11:03 UTC