Govt aims to release 70 cr fish seed this year

Khammam: Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav has said that efforts were on to strengthen the rural economy. Speaking at a meeting at the Palair Balancing Reservoir on Wednesday, he said the government which launched the ambitious programme for uplift of fishermen community has plans to release 70 crore fish seed in tanks across the State this year.

“With the initiative taken by the Minister for Roads and Buildings Tummala Nageswara Rao, Khammam district alone would get 3.78 crore fish seed free of cost,” Talasani said.

He said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been taking measures to uplift the people belonging to various communities by promoting caste-based professions.

Apart from fisheries development, the government was also working for the welfare of Golla Kuruma communities by distributing sheep so that their financial conditions could be improved, the Minister said. He announced a laboratory for the fisheries research centre in Palair and a hostel for the trainees.

Talasani further directed the District Collector, DS Lokesh Kumar, to identify land for establishing a model market exclusively for fish market. He said in addition to the Rs 10 lakh already sanctioned for the model market, another Rs 10 lakh would be released according to the need.

Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said that government was committed for the welfare of those depended on caste-based professions. “Reservoirs such as Kinnerasani, Taliperu, Lankasagar and Wyra in the erstwhile Khammam district are ideal for raising fish as these waterbodies will have water almost round the year,” Tummala said.

Collector Lokesh Kumar said so far the administration has released 60 lakh fish seed in 195 tanks in the district. SC Corporation Chairman Pidamarthi Ravi, ZP chairperson G Kavitha, DCCB Chairman Muvva Vijay Babu and Market Committee Chairman RJC Krishna were among others present.

In Kothagudem, the Minister released fishseed into the Singabhupalem tank to improve the livelihood opportunities of fishermen.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion, he said, “Tank restoration under Mission Kakatiya programme has paved way for pisciculture in tanks. Since fishermen’s cooperatives elections are to be held in three months, fishermen eking out livelihood solely on catching fish would be enrolled as members in the cooperative societies.”

The Minister said as per government guidelines, quality fish seed were released into the tanks. He further warned fishermen against complaining about the quality later as the release of fish seed was being videographed. He told the gathering that the State government has released Rs 25 crore for Singabhupalem tank for its development.

Stating that fishlings of the dimensions 80x100 mm were released into the Singabhupalem tank, Kothagudem legislator Jalagam Venkata Rao said over 10,000 fishermen were dependent on their livelihood on the tank, spread over 1,200 acres.