The Punjab Government has embarked upon an ambitious program to develop Fish farms over the 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 persification on the other.An announcement to this effect has been made by Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal here today during a meeting with a group of progressive Fish Farmers and the senior officers of the Animal Husbandry, Dairy development & Fisheries departments and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Science University Ludhana (GADVASU). Mr. Badal said that the state government would incur the entire expenditure on these ponds for the first year to benefit the farmers.
The 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 further said that District level Co-ordination Committees would also be constituted.Mr. Badal also asked the Vice Chancellor GADVASU to extend all possible technical support to the fish farmers to enable them to run these ventures in a profitable manner.The Chief Minister also approved to constitute a committee headed by Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry, Dairy development & Fisheries to chalk out the modalities for purchase of Feed Pelletize Machines to provide cooked feed at affordable and cheaper rates, for which the government would provide 50% subsidy. Presently the government was providing 20% subsidy in the normal areas and 40% in the water logged areas for the digging the fish ponds. He also approved to provide subside of Rs. 50,000 for the cleaning of 2.5 acre fish pond after five years.In order to fulfill State Government's commitment to provide modern marketing infrastructure for fish trade, Mr. Badal reviewed the lay out plan of upcoming Fish Market Ludhiana and directed the concerned departments to expedite the process to set up this market in a time bound manner. Prominent amongst those present in the meeting included Advisor to Animal Husbandry Dairy development & Fisheries Punjab Dr. Prem Kumar Uppal, Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry Dairy development & Fisheries Mr. G Vajralingam, Special Principal Secretary to CM Mr. Ajoy Kumar Sharma, Addl. Principal Secretary to CM Mr. Sandeep Hans, Vice Chancellor GADVASU Dr. Vijay Kumar Taneja and Director Fisheries Mr. BK Sood, besides the progressive fish farmers Mr. Manjit Singh Sandhu, Gurjatinder Singh Virk, Mr. Karam Inder Singh and Environmentalist Capt. Amarjit Kumar.