The Government of Odisha has demanded a state-of-the-art fish production centre at Aryapalli in Ganjam district, adequate grants for the proposed fishing harbour at Astaranga and a regional fisheries research institute in the state.
During the two-day Fisheries Summer Meet 2024 at Madurai, Minister for Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Gokulananda Mallik urged Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, to consider the state's demands at the earliest, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
Mallik demanded a grant of Rs 180 crore for the fishing harbour at Astaranga as Rs 82 crore provided for the purpose was not enough. He also sought immediate release of Rs 2 crore pending since 2023 for training and skill development of fish farmers in the state.
Stating that the state has a vast coastline of 480 km with huge potential for the development of fisheries, the minister demanded a research institute that can guide the fish farmers and researchers for the growth of the sector. He requested to release the outstanding amount of Rs 162 crore for fishery clusters.
The Centre had announced to provide Rs 480 crore for the construction of clusters in the state for fish production and marketing. Only 31 clusters are now functional as the pending amount is yet to be released.
