With the opening of the Chika Fresh, a fish retail selling outlet, at Siripur Crossing here on Friday, people can now get varieties of fresh fish, prawns, crabs and many more from the Chilka lagoon at a cheaper price under one platform.
Inaugurating the kiosk, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his happiness to see varieties of both sweet and saltwater fishes presented in a clean and hygienic platform.
He later purchased some lobsters and prawns for his own. Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy said that the outlet, run by the FISHFED, is the first of its kind in the capital city, where buyers would have better choice for buying fish, prawn and crabs at a much cheaper rate.
For the opening day, seven quintals of Rohu, Catla, Mrigal, Hilsa, Pomfrets, Mackerel, Bhekti, Khainga, lobster, Prawn and Crabs were brought for selling, said Fisheries Director P Krishna Mohan.
As it is run by the FISHFED, farmers would be able sale their products directly, said ARD Secretary Bishnupada Sethi, who also asked the FISFED authorities to buy the farmers products and pay them immediately, so that they will be interested to deal with the Federation.
More numbers of such kiosks would be opened in the city as well as in other cities, like Cuttack, Brahmapur, Rourkela and Sambalpur, informed Sethi. The outlet has come up with a cost of Rs25 lakh and entrepreneurs would be roped in to set up more such facilities in future, informed FISHFED MD Umesh K Mohanty.