NEW DELHI, March 16: Minister of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, AL Hek on Thursday urged the Centre to help Meghalaya in a big way stating that a vast majority of the poor in the state rely heavily on fish and domestic animals to earn a livelihood.
He met his Union counterpart Parshottam Rupala and apprised him of the progress of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and other programmes in the fisheries sector in Meghalaya.
Hek said the state is witnessing the blue revolution and it has capacity and potentials including recreational fisheries and aqua-eco tourism. Rupala assured of all help from the Centre in this venture.
Hek also had a meeting with Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda during which the two discussed several fisheries-related ongoing schemes.
Hek urged Rupala to facilitate approval for fresh proposals on Integrated Fisheries Development in Meghalaya. The Union Minister stressed on the need for a holistic 5-year annual plan with a vision towards self-sustainability, socio-economic uplift and livelihood generation in the fisheries and animal husbandry sector.
During the discussion, Hek pointed out that Jadisil Fish Sanctuary and such other sanctuaries turned into eco-tourism spots as a result of the state government’s effort to revive the declining population of local fish species. The sanctuaries, mostly managed by locals, help them earn throughout the year.
Rupala was keen to know the status of Mobile Veterinary Units that he had launched last year in South West Garo Hills and stressed on proper implementation and monitoring of the project for the benefit of the farmers. Hek appraised Rupala on the need to set up more such units of multiplier pig farms and a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital in Meghalaya.
The Centre had launched the PMMSY initiative to establish a comprehensive framework and reduce infrastructural gaps in the fisheries sector. It intends to place India in the first place in fish production and processing by implementing the blue revolution with the aim to double the income of farmers.
Rupala assured that under PMMSY, any infrastructural gap in the fisheries sector in Meghalaya will be removed. The policy envisages to integrate all fishermen with agricultural farmers and provide them all facilities available through various farmer welfare schemes.
