The Union govt does not see any role for cooperative in ushering in Blue Revolution in the country. Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh does not even by mistakes mentions the name of Fishcopfed-the apex cooperative bodies for fishermen.
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.
Taking recourse to social media an ever active Singh claims “Fresh Impetus to Blue Revolution for integrated development of inland and marine fisheries.” He says centre is targeting to enhance fish production by 150 lakh tones by year 2019-20.”
In 2015-16 fish production is estimated at 107.95 lakh tones. Under the scheme fish production is being increased in a responsible and sustainable manner for economic prosperity, Minister underlines.
Scheme is generating employment and is aimed at export earnings, Singh says. It would lead to inclusive development & empowerment of fishermen and aquaculture farmers’, he avers.
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 last year.
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”.
NFDB which is not active at ground level and does not engage fishermen has the only job of granting funds to states. Bereft of any ground-level input how far its championing the cause of fishermen would succeed could be any body’s guess.
