- NET Web Desk
Recently, the Minister for Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Departments, Lok Nath Sharma addressed a press conference on the recent developmental initiatives taken up in the fisheries sector.
Held at his office at Tashiling Secretariat, Sharma urged the media fraternity to create a massive awareness of the newly designed e-portal for the fish farmers of Sikkim.
The newly launched Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) e-portal, http://pmmsy.sikkim.gov.in will facilitate interested fish farmers to submit online applications for different fish farming schemes of the government.
Following the request of the applicant, the designated officials will conduct field verification within one month.
Accordingly, the Directorate of Fisheries will provide available benefits to the interested applicants based on the field feasibility report.
The e-portal provides services of online application, scrutiny, validation of documents, issuing of the work order and subsidies through Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT), he stated.
He also shared the vision and planning of making the state self-sufficient in terms of the production of indigenous species, particularly relating to the high demand of freshly cultured trout and carp fish and its export to the neighbouring states.
Further, he informed that two Fish Farmers Producer Organizations/Companies (FFPOs/Cs) have been formed at Regu in East District and Sribadam in West District.
Highlighting the benefits of constituting the FFPOs, the Minister mentioned that Organization will cater to numerous benefits like subsidized loans, transportation vehicles, processing unit, cold chain and other related essential components, like Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs).
Wherein the beneficiaries are receiving various benefits after its formation in the Agriculture and Horticulture sectors, he added.
He appealed to the interested farmers to come forward to adopt fisheries farming and added that the government is always ready to provide an intensive fish culture of carp farming to 150 beneficiaries and a scheme of Trout Culture in Raceway to 160 beneficiaries.
Under the scheme, each eligible interested applicant will be benefitted with the financial assistance of Rs. One Lakh Twenty Thousand (1,20,000) in three instalments.
Besides, technical supports along with necessary inputs like feed, seeds etc. will also be provided.
The Minister also informed that at present a total of 363 fishermen from the state of Sikkim have been registered under NFDB-PMMSY-Group Accidental Insurance Scheme (GAIS).
Under this scheme, fish farmers will be benefited from Rs. 25,000 against accidental hospitalization, Rs. 2, 50,000 against permanent partial disability and Rs. 5 lakhs against death or permanent total disability.
Meanwhile, Sharma also shared that the Directorate of Fisheries has recently successfully connected the power supply to Sikkim’s first trout farm cum hatchery centre after 46 years of its establishment at Memencho lake.
It marked the initiative as a historic milestone towards the strengthening of the fisheries sector in Sikkim.
He urged interested fish farmers to go through the recently published training manual on trout and carp fish farming.
Financial incentives notified under Mukhya Mantri Krishi Atmanirbhar Yojana and Mukhya Mantri Pashupalan Samridhi Yojana have also been highlighted.
The allocated fund can be adequately utilized when the farmers come forward to avail of it.
Further, he articulated the indispensable dependency of human society on Agriculture, Horticulture and Livestock farming and stressed the need of strengthening these sectors to embrace a common goal of the self-reliant state.
The Director, Directorate of Fisheries, N. Jaswant drew light on the objectives of the press conference.
He informed about the anticipated adoption of fisheries farming by the youth entrepreneurs, thereby taking benefit of newly launched schemes and programmes shortly.
