Chief Minister N Biren today transferred Rs. 15,000 each to the bank accounts of 900 fish farmers of 10 hill districts totalling Rs. 1.80 crore.
The assistance was provided under Paddy cum Pisciculture scheme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana – Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sectors Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) for the year 2019-2020.
Speaking at the occasion, Chief Minister said that Manipur requires 52,000 MT of fish every year. However, Manipur could produce only 27,000 MT till the coming of the new Government thereby requiring around Rs. 400 crore to import the remaining quantity of fish from other States every year.
As such, the Government started focusing on enhancement of fish production, he said and added that apart from commissioning of a fish-feed production unit, the State Government has arranged loans ranging from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 7 lakh for hundreds of fish farmers. As a result, State’s current fish production per year has increased to 32,600 MT per year, the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government sent a proposal of Rs. 14 crore to implement Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana to the Centre out of which Rs. 7.04 crore has already been sanctioned.
Moreover, the State Government is planning to submit an ambitious project worth Rs. 400 crore in consultation with the Central Agricultural University, N. Biren Singh informed.
Chongthu News Service