TURA, April 28: Tura MP Agatha Sangma has accentuated the need to cut down the import of fish from other states and has exhorted the fish farmers in Meghalaya to stride towards self-reliance.
The MP made the appeal during an inaugural programme at Duragre under Rongram C&RD Block, near Tura, on Thursday.
During the programme, Agatha inaugurated the training hall of Fisheries department at Digri Chiring Fish Seed Farm in Duragre and distributed three-wheelers to West Garo Hills-based fish farmers shortlisted under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, 2020-2021.
The programme was also attended by West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh, officials of Fisheries department, among others.
In her address, the MP said that the inauguration of the training hall will benefit fish farmers from the region.
Beseeching the fish farmers to become self-reliant and take initiatives to increase their fish production, Agatha stressed on the need to minimise the imports of fish from other states.
She also informed the gathering that the state government is leaving no stone unturned to realise the objective of the central scheme.
Meanwhile, West Garo Hills DC, in his address, aired concern over the rate at which fish is imported to Meghalaya.
He said that whilst fish consumption in the state is very high, import of the same from states like Andhra Pradesh and Orissa is also very high in view of the dearth of large-scale fish farmers.
The DC also asked the fish farmers to preserve the natural environment, especially the water catchment areas and the natural water bodies, for the safeguard of the aquatic life.
During the day, an awareness programme on Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) under the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) was also conducted.
