The Punjab Government has decided to bring 1000-acre saline and waterlogged area under fish farming during 2014-15.
“Under crop diversification programme, Rs 4 crore has been released during 2013-14 to bring 600 acre of saline and waterlogged area under fish culture by providing 90 per cent subsidy to the fish farmers by the Punjab Government,” said the State Animal Husbandry, Fish farming and Dairy Development Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike.
“This year we would increase the area from 600 acre to 1,000 acre,” he added. He said that the State Government was providing 50 percent subsidy for setting up new fish farms in the State. “Fish farming has a lot of potential for boosting the agricultural income of the farmers in the state and Punjab Government has sanctioned Rs 64 crore for GADVASU in current budget to promote crop diversification or allied sector,” he said.
Ranike said that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has also approved to constitute a nine-member Executive Committee headed by Financial Commissioner, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development to ensure effective implementation of the decisions taken in the Board besides monitoring various developments in this sector for the promotion of the fishery in a big way.
The other members of the committee would include VC GADVASU, nominee of Principal Secretary Finance, Additional Chief Executive officer of Punjab livestock Development Board, Director Fisheries besides two progressive members each from large and small scale fish farmers.
“The state government has planned to set up 14 modernized government fish seed farms, out of which seven would be set up at Rayke Kalan (Bathinda), Mallwal (Ferozpur), Hayatnagar (Gurdaspur), Dosanjh Nabha (Patiala), Mohi (ludhiana), Faridkot and Rajasansi (Amritsar) at a cost of Rs 18.34 crore during the year 2014-15, whereas the other seven would be taken up in the next year,” he said.