An umbrella scheme for ushering in Blue Revolution with an outlay of Rs. 3000 crore has been proposed by Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on the occasion of the “World Fisheries Day- 2015 on Saturday.
In his scheme of things, the apex body of Fisheries cooperatives does not figure at all. Fishcopfed’s repeated complaint of being at the receiving end of the governmental apathy has shown once again. Fishcoped has prepared the biggest database on the co-op societies of the fishermen in the country and insured close to 46 lakh of them in the last fiscal yet the government does not seem impressed , said a cooperator on condition of anonymity.
Radha Mohan Singh said “considering the importance and growth potential of the sector, and considering the need for effective implementation of different schemes, the Ministry by merging all the existing schemes, has proposed to formulate an umbrella scheme ‘Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries’ with an outlay of Rs. 3000 crore, he said.
This umbrella scheme will cover inland fisheries, aquaculture, marine fisheries including deep sea fishing, mari-culture and all activities undertaken by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) towards realizing “Blue Revolution”.
Minister further said a “focused approach of this nature will usher in Blue Revolution through an integrated
development and management of fisheries and aquaculture sector and ensure sustained acceleration and intensification of fish production beyond the projected annual growth rate.”he said.
Union Minister felicitated some of the fishers/fish farmers who have come from different states of the country and released a souvenir. Minister of State Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Ashok Kumar Angurana and Secretary DARE, Dr. S. Ayyappan were also present on the occasion.
