Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, will visit Gangtok and Mangan districts of Sikkim on November 2 and 3 to review fisheries development initiatives and strengthen the fisheries sector in the northeastern region.
During the two-day visit, the Union Minister will inaugurate projects worth Rs 375 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and launch the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for organic fish farming.
The Minister will also distribute Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to fish farmers and disburse cheques under the Mukhya Mantri Matsya Uthpadhan Yojana (MMMUY). He is also scheduled to interact with fish farmers and review the implementation of various fisheries development programmes.
As part of the visit, Singh will interact with members of the Fish Farmers’ Cooperative Society at the Live Fish Vending Centre in Mangshila to assess their requirements related to fish marketing and cooperative activities. He will also review PMMSY interventions and fisheries development initiatives at the District Administrative Centre in Mangan.
Senior officials from the Government of Sikkim, district administration, the Department of Fisheries, ICAR fisheries institutes and other relevant ministries are expected to participate in the engagements.
The northeastern region, with its abundant freshwater resources, diverse aquatic ecosystems and rich biodiversity, has significant potential for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development. The government is focusing on strengthening the sector through organic certification, traceability, processing, value addition and improved market linkages.
Under PMMSY, the government has adopted a cluster-based approach to integrate production, processing, value addition and marketing. So far, 34 fisheries production and processing clusters have been notified across the country, including organic fisheries clusters in Sikkim and Meghalaya.
The initiative aims to improve market access, enhance the value of fishery products and increase farmers’ incomes by connecting producers with domestic and international markets.
The Union Minister’s visit is part of the Centre’s structured mechanism for periodic visits by Union Ministers to the northeastern states to review development programmes and obtain feedback from beneficiaries and stakeholders.
-PIB
