Agartala, March 03, 2024: Tripura Fisheries Minister Sudhangshu Das on Saturday urged the people who have ponds at their homes to sell fish in their local markets, besides meeting their own family needs. He said that this would not only fulfill the demand of fish in the area, but also improve the financial condition of the pond owners.

Fisheries Minister Sudhangshu Das inaugurated the Matshya Sahayak Yojana-2024, at Muktadhara Auditorium here on Saturday. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance of Rs 6,000 per year to selected fishermen for fish farming.

Das said that the scheme is one of the various steps taken by the government to encourage the fishermen of the state, who can become self-reliant by fishing. He said that over 1,000 fishermen will benefit from the scheme in the first phase this year, and the target is to cover 15,000 fishermen in the next five years.

The minister also praised the development initiatives of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the state government, saying that they are working for the welfare of the people, especially women, youth, farmers and the poor. He said that the state has witnessed unprecedented progress in the last five years, and the government is committed to make the state self-reliant in fisheries. He said that the government is rehabilitating abandoned reservoirs and ponds to increase fish production, and promoting women self-help groups in fisheries.

The inaugural function was presided over by Haridulal Acharya, the Sabhadipati of Paschim Tripura Zilla Parishad. BS Mishra, the principal secretary of the fisheries department, welcomed the guests and the beneficiaries. Santosh Das, the director of the fisheries department, and Tutan Das, a social worker, were also present at the event.

On the occasion, eight fishermen from eight districts of the state received cheques of Rs 6,000 each under the Fisheries Support Scheme-2024. Additionally, eight fishermen received cheques of Rs 65,000 each under the North Eastern Council project, and eight fishermen received loan approval letters on Kisan Credit Card. The minister and the other guests handed over the assistance to the beneficiaries.