Punjab Government has embarked upon an ambitious program to develop fish farms over farmer's land in water logged areas of over 200 acres at its own cost in order to substantiate their income on one hand and boost state's crop diversification on the other.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said that the state government would incur the entire expenditure on these ponds for the first year to benefit the farmers.
The announcement came after Badal’s meeting with a group of progressive fish farmers and the senior officers of the Animal Husbandry, Dairy development and Fisheries departments and ludhiana’s Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University (GADVASU) on Friday.
Chief Minister said that Punjab Government would soon establish Punjab State Fishery Board to give due representation to the fish farmers and asked the department to complete the formalities in this regard expeditiously.
He added that district level co-ordination committees would also be constituted.
Presently, the government was providing 20 per cent subsidy in the normal areas and 40 per cent in the water logged areas for digging fish ponds. Badal also approved to provide subside of Rs 50,000 for the cleaning of 2.5 acre fish pond after five years.