All to participate in fish mela : FFUM
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 03 2021:
Fisheries Foundation Union Manipur (FFUM) chairman M Tombi has stated that all fishers in Manipur would participate in the Fish Mela which is to be held on November 5 in connection with Ningol Chakkouba Festival.
Briefing media persons at the office of Shiv Sena, State unit at Babupara, M Tombi clarified that some section of fishermen resolved to not take part in the mela due to the alleged non distribution of Rs 129 crore sanctioned by the NCDC to the fishers.
Continuing that the FFUM had urged Chief Minister N Biren Singh to release the amount at the earliest, he announced that the Chief Minister had assured of releasing Rs 19 crore as a first phase recently.
He further stated that the Government, through State Cooperative Bank, extended a monetary assistance of Rs 18 crore to altogether 524 beneficiaries to promote State fishermen and reduce expenditure on fish import in the last 4 and a half years.
Saying that the beneficiary fishermen, however, incurred loss due to the Covid pandemic, he urged the Government to reduce the interest rate to some extent in the interest of the (beneficiaries) .
M Tombi also urged all the State fishermen to take the benefit being provided by the Government.
The FFUM is also striving to make sure the State fishers produce adequate quantity of fishes to meet the domestic demand, he said.
FFUM secretary Angom Tiken also urged all the fishers to support the mela.