Like farmers, fishermen also being provided loans at 3 per cent interest rate: Fisheries Minister Shri Ajay Vishnoi

Like farmers, fishermen also being provided loans at 3 per cent interest rate: Fisheries Minister Shri Ajay Vishnoi

14th annual general meeting of Fisheries Federation held
Bhopal: Wednesday, March 9, 2011:

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Fisheries Minister Shri Ajay Vishnoi has said that like farmers, fishermen are also being provided loans at three per cent interest rate. The assistance given to fishermen will now be deposited in their bank accounts so that they can purchase fishing nets and boats of their own choice. Fisheries Minister Shri Vishnoi was addressing the 14th annual general meeting of Fisheries Federation at Bhopal on Tuesday. At the AGM, the federation’s action plan for the year 2011-12 was endorsed.

Loans to fishermen at 3 per cent interest rate

Average income of fishermen increased to Rs 191 per day from Rs 137.

Fish production in the state is 20 kilogramme per hectare against national productivity of 12.5 kg per hectare

Fisheries Minister Shri Vishnoi said that from next year, fishermen will be provided 80 per cent subsidy instead of 50 per cent for purchasing material. He instructed the officials to ensure that Fishermen’s Credit Cards must be issued to all the fishermen associated with the federation within three months. Credit cards are to be prepared for about 5 thousand fishermen associated with the cooperative societies active in 12 water reservoirs of the state. Through these cards, fishermen will also be able to get loans for fishing like farmers.

Fisheries Minister Shri Vishnoi said that wages of fishermen have been increased to Rs 19 per kilogramme which were earlier between Rs 8 and Rs 17. This year, about Rs 8 crore will be distributed among the fishermen as wages. Shri Vishnoi said that now fishermen associated with the federation are earning over Rs 191 per day each, which used to be Rs 131 earlier. The Fisheries Minister said that per hectare productivity of the federation’s water reservoirs is 20 kilogramme on an average while the national productivity is only 12.5 kilogramme per hectare.

Federation’s MD Smt. Veena Ghanekar said that the Federation has given Rs two crore as royalty to the state government this year, which is highest so far. She said that fisheries activities are being undertaken in 91 thousand hectare area of Indira Sagar, which is the second large water reservoir of Asia. As many as 14 thousand 350 fishermen, who are associated with 40 cooperatives, are working in the reservoir. The AGM was told that apart from fishermen, their family members are also being covered under insurance. Under Jaldeep Yojana, health and education facilities, food material etc are being provided to the family members of five thousand fishermen, who live in inaccessible islands of these reservoirs.

The meeting was told that the federation has achieved all its targets. This year, the total production of Federation’s 12 reservoirs is expected to be more than 3600 tonnes. The scheme for providing dwellings to fishermen at reduced rates has also been put in place.