Imphal, November 13: The efficiency of the Fisheries Department in implementing various Centrally sponsored schemes aimed at development of fish-farmers and pisciculture in the State has been seriously undermined as the State Government could not provide its capital share for such schemes, according to a reliable source.

The inability of the State Government to take up any of the scheme for development of the fish-farmers in the State properly has resulted in loss of trust of fish-farmers on the efficiency of the Fishery Department, the source added.

The source informed that the Assistance to Pisciculturist Scheme taken up by the State Government under which fish-farmers could avail bank loan with a subsidy/grant amount of around Rs 5000 to 6000 has been derailed for the past 13/14 years as the Finance Department has not released the necessary money, the source added.

In fact all the budgetary allocation for implementation of the scheme since 1991-92 has been withheld by the Finance Department after being deposited in the Slate Account 8449, the source disclosed.

The source estimated that the total amount of money that has been lying in the State Account for implementation of the scheme would be over Rs 40 lakhs.

The source further informed that the Centre has sanctioned over Rs 6 crores under a special scheme with the objective of providing financial assistance to fish-farmers in the North Eastern region.

This scheme would extend financial assistance at the rate of Rs 40,000 per beneficiaries to 100 families for construction of houses.

The amount to be provided to the fish farmers has to be shared by the State and the Centre equally on fifty-fifty ratio.

If the State Govt could provide at least Rs 1 crore, it could get an assistance of Rs 1 crore from the Centre for the fish-farmers of the State, it said.

Comment