Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a number of measures for
the development of fishermen community in the state.
Chouhan, who yesterday inaugurated a three-day long
`Macchua Panchyat` here, announced that the name of the
Fisheries Department would be changed to Fishermen`s Welfare
and Fisheries Development Department, so that it could focus
both on the development of fisheries as well as welfare of
large number of fishermen in the state.
"A Fisheries Board will be constituted to address
their issues and a member of the fishermen community should be
made its chairman for a better focus on their welfare," he
said.
The Chief Minister also announced one per cent
interest rate loan to fishermen on the lines of the loan
provided to the state farmers.
Chouhan said that fishermen from other categories
would also get a financial assistance of Rs 15,000 each for
fish breeding, similar to assistance provided to the scheduled
caste and tribal categories.
Similarly, Rs 1.50 lakh assistance provided to the
registered Fisheries Cooperative Societies of SC and ST
categories, will also be made available to the societies run
by other fishermen categories, he said.
Chouhan said that the state government would provide
guarantee to the education loans obtained by children of
fishermen for medical and engineering courses, among others.
This year 1,000 houses are being built for fishermen,
while 2,000 houses would be built next year for them at
subsidised rates, Chouhan said.
He said that the state government would urge the
Centre to open Fisheries Science College to promote
application of modern technology in the fisheries sector.
"Until this college is opened, Fisheries Science
Faculty will be started in the existing Veterinary Colleges of
the state," he said.
PTI
