B K Mishra, Managing Director of the apex body of fisheries cooperative in the country Fishcopfed has thanked the finance minister for making an important announcement of Rs 20,000 crore for fishermen. Mishra thinks with the announcement of PMMSY, the entire sector shall be revolutionized.
In particular, Mishra was jubilant on FM’s willingness to set up a nodal agency to insure the boats. He offered Fishcopfed as an ideal body to act as the nodal agency for insuring boats. It bears recall that Fishcopfed insures three million fishers under PMSBY and aims to cover 10 million fishers by the end of the next five years.
Talking to Indian Cooperative, Mishra said, “It was really a very timely announcement. There was earlier fund allocation through various Blue Revolution Schemes. This year this announcement was due also.
“The amount earmarked is substantial to meet the targets set. We welcome the announcements on behalf of the fishery cooperative sector. Hope the fishery cooperative sector shall derive desired benefits by strategically positioning itself”, he added.
MD welcomed the move to insure boats and said “the govt proposes boat insurance and we are confident that at least one lakh registered boats in mechanized or motorized or traditional sectors could be insured in the 1st phase.
“Given our expertise in insurance matters, we hope to be a nodal agency to insure the boats also” added Mishra saying fishcopfed had anticipated this move.
“We are happy that some of our proposals are under consideration. We are thankful to the Govt giving thrust on fishermen’s welfare through insurance. We are now insuring 3 million fishers under PMSBY. Now we can cover 10 million by the end of the next five years”, he underlined.
Further, the Govt wants to give thrusts on aspirational districts and on NE states where fisheries cooperatives have strong presence. Besides, cold chains have to be taken up in a big way to strengthen both the supply chain and value chain.
Further, capacity building training programs shall be taken up on a large scale. In the last budget, there was focus on organizing 500 FPOs in the fisheries Sector.
Fishcopfed can take up the responsibility to set up the same in the stipulated five years. Now more and more fishermen and fish farmers have been mobilized to apply for Kisan Credit Cards also.
Fishcopfed has already submitted its proposals and hopes the Govt shall recognize our contributions to the sector, he added.
It bears recall that Fishcopfed is the only national level cooperative federation under the Dept of Fisheries, the Govt. of India with a vast network of around 22000 PFCSs with a membership base of 3.3 million.
