Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 20: Minister of State for Fisheries, Dr. Manohar Lal Sharma today said that Jammu and Kashmir has tremendous scope for the development of fisheries and fish production in view of its varied climatic conditions and plenty of water resources. The Government will make all out efforts to explore the unutilized potential in all areas to boost the fish production, he said.
Replying to the discussion on demand of Grants of Fisheries Department in the House today, the Minister said that overall fish production of the State has increased from 19.85 to 19.95 thousand tonnes during 2012-13. Against a target of Rs. 4.67 crore for current fiscal, the department has generated revenue to the tune of Rs. 4.09 crore by the end of February, 13, the Minister said.
Maintaining that Government has taken several measures to promote trout fish culture in the State, the Minister said during the current year (ending February 2013) the trout production has touched 260 tones. For the first time the Government has involved the private sector to promote the trout fish and very encouraging results have come to fore. The department has conducted sale of 82 tonnes of trout fish through its own units during the current year and generated revenue of Rs. 1.90 crore. The department also supplies trout seed to the private fish farmers as well as for augmenting the trout stock in the natural water bodies for which 1557 water bodies were stocked during the year 2012-13, he added.
Elaborating the details about the measures initiated for the development of fishery sector and to attract more and more people to adopt this activity as income generating ventures, the Minister said that Government has established two National Fish Seed Farms, one each at Kathua in Jammu division and Manasbal in Kashmir for producing quality seed of fast growing carp fish species. As many as 6 more trout hatchery units like Panzath, Mamer, Bheja, Tchancer, Laribal and Khag have been commissioned for Trout Seed Production. One Mahaseer Hatchery has been established for conservation of this endangered species at Anji Reasi. Mahaseer fish angling is being started in Reasi, Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur and Rajouri districts, said Dr. Manohar.
The Minister said for providing marketing facilities, one whole sale fish market at Jammu is under construction under National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and will be completed during 2013-14. Besides, he said two retail market outlets have been taken up under National Mission for Protein Supplement (NMPS) at Basohli and Bandipora respectively. Two refrigerated vans have also been sanctioned under this scheme for the conservation of fish, said the Minister.
As welfare measures to the fishermen, State Government has provided 2485 Low Cost Houses to the bonafide fish farmers under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) Scheme and State Plan till 2011-12. During the current fiscal, 300 more such houses will be provided to the deserving beneficiaries, the Minister maintained.
Earlier, the Minister moved that a sum of Rs. 61.70 crore be granted to the Government to defray the charges which will come in the course of payment during the year ending March 31, 2014.
As many as 14 Members took part in the discussion on the Grants for the Fisheries Department and gave their valuable suggestions to further improve this sector. They urged to engage more youth in this sector for establishing their income generating units. They also suggested exploring the potential in the new areas to boost the State’s economy.
The Members who took part in the discussion included, Abdul Gani Malik, Bharat Bushan, Krishan Chander Bhagat, Irfan Shah, Jagdish Raj Sapolia, Javed Ahmed Dar, Ashok Kumar, Er. Abdul Rashid, T. Namgyal, Haji Mohammad Ashraf Ganie, Charanjit Singh, Qamar Ali Akhoon, G. M. Saroori and Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal.
Later, the members withdrew their cut motions which they had moved after the satisfactory reply by the Minister and the House passed the Grants by a voice vote.
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