Bengaluru: The Centre has set an outlay of Rs 3,490 crore for the development of fishing harbours and fish landing centres, Swarajya reports. 

This will run till the year 2025, as revealed by Giriraj Singh, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, in the Parliament.

"The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) envisages substantial investments to the tune of Rs 3490 crore for development of fishing harbours and fish landing centres during the period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25," the Minister was quoted as saying.

Interestingly, it was reported that none other than his own party members, Dr Jyanta Kumar Roy, Member of parliament (MP) from Jalpaiguri, West Bengal and Vinod Kumar Sonkar, MP from Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, raised the issue. 

The answer to the queries posed further noted that in the budget 2021-22, development of 5 Major Fishing Harbours namely Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, and Petuaghat has been announced as hubs of economic activities.

"Besides, development of inland fishing harbours and fish-landing centres along the banks of rivers and waterways has also been announced in the budget," the answer noted.

The Minister also informed the parliament that under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund(FIDF), concessional finance is provided to the state governments/UTs to undertake development of fishing harbours and fish landing centres.

"Till date, 14 fishing harbour projects worth of Rs 3451.32 crore have been approved under FIDF," he added.