SHILLONG, March 1: Congress MDC from Rambrai-Jyrgngam, Bajop C Pyngrope, on Monday, said that the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has received a meagre Rs 9,500 despite spending Rs 18 lakh annually on the fishing ponds at Lailad, in Ri Bhoi.
While raising this issue during the question hour on the second day of the Council’s budget session here on Monday, the MDC said that the fishes in the ponds have not grown to its full size even after the Council had engaged four fishermen-cum feeders for feeding them.
Earlier, while replying to question raised by the Congress MDC, Executive Member in-charge Fisheries department, Mitchell Wankhar, informed that the Council had received Rs 2,000 in 2008-2009 and Rs 7,500 in 2018-2019.
Replying to a question on the amount spent for expanding of the fishing pond, Wankhar said that they have spent Rs 25 lakh over the past few years for the expansion of this fishing pond.
The executive member also expressed concern that the pond has been only used for fishing by some MDCs and few individuals only.
“In 2018, around 80 kilos of fish fingerlings were put in the ponds and around 12 kg of them was fished in 2019. We witnessed that fish were very small in size which indicates that they are not likely fed properly,” Wankhar said.
On the supplementary question raised by Mawkhar-Pynthorumkhrah MDC, Pynshgnain N Syiem said that the revenue – Rs 2,000 and Rs 7500 – which they collected from the ponds is through sale of the fish.
Wankhar also informed that they had sought an amount of Rs 84 crore from the Centre to increase the fish production of the Council.