Mumbai: Fishing may get agriculture status soon, hints union minister

Fishing may soon get the status of agriculture and the Kisan Credit Card Scheme may soon be extended to fisherfolk, said Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala.

“We will bring changes to the NDRF and SDRF compensation schemes for fisherfolk as the old schemes are obsolete. The current NDRF relief package for fisherfolk is a mere Rs 2,700 for damaged nets and Rs 9,800 for damage to boats,” said Rupala, who concluded the third phase of the Sagar Parikrama on Tuesday at the Sasson Docks in Mumbai.

The minister, who was accompanied by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar, laid stress upon the industry’s contribution to the economy and the key role it played in exports.

Rupala and his state counterpart, Sudhir Mungantiwar, promised fisherfolk fresh subsidies and infrastructure, even as they spoke about how Maharashtra did not have any scheme with respect to easing and promoting the business of fishing.

Mungatiwar spoke of preserving biodiversity and focused on how the government is tackling water pollution caused by sewage and industrial waste. The government has set up a committee to ensure improvement in the infrastructure and surveillance apparatus on fishing jetties to prevent 26/11 type of attacks, he said.

Mungatiwar also announced a plan for a “blue revolution”, which aims to will upgrade the infrastructure of supply lines in areas of cold storage, drying, peeling, and packaging.