The Punjab Government has covered 2956 fish farmers from 14 districts under free insurance scheme for the year 2015.Disclosing this, Gulzar Singh Ranike Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister said that the free insurance scheme is being executed in collaboration withfishcofed. The State Government and the Union Government have paid the premium and the fish farmers would not be charged a single penny for this insurance.
The Minister said that during the year 2015, The Punjab Government has covered 2956 fish farmers/fish sellers under accidental insurance cover including 374 fish farmers from district Ludhiana, 305 from Gurdaspur, 255 from Kapurthala, 203 from Fatehgarh Sahib and 229 from Firozpur. Similarly 220 fish farmers have been covered in district Patiala, 573 in Roopnagar, 161 in Amritsar, 140 in Moga, 161 in Hoshiarpur, 100 in Sangrur, 90 in Sri Muktsar Sahib, 75 in Faridkot and 70 in district Bathinda.
Divulging the details, Mr. Ranike said that Rs. 2 lakh compensation is provided to the dependents of deceased fish farmers/fish sellers and in case of permanent handicap, the fish farmer would be compensated with Rs. 1 lakh. He said that Rs. 10000 is given for the hospitalization of fish farmer. He said that the premium of this insurance per person per annum is Rs. 20.27 and the Punjab Government is contributing 50 percent of this amount.He added that The State Government has already announced 50 percent subsidy for all districts on fish farming. He said that farmers having 1 acre land under fish farming would get Rs. 60,000 for digging as per the norms of department, Rs. 20000 for feed purposes and Rs. 18000 to purchase aerator for increasing amount of oxygen in water.