New fish farming policy approved in the cabinet
Ponds and reservoirs having water area more than 10 hectares will be given on lease for 10 years through open tender.
Provision to reduce the number of non-tribal members from 33 percent to 30 percent by the free fishery tribal fishermen cooperative society in anicuts and deep pools with water area less than 20 hectares.
fish seed certified act will be made
It is mandatory for fish seed sellers and producers to register and take license
Raipur, 14 July 2022
A new fish farming policy was approved in the state of Chhattisgarh in the cabinet meeting held at his residence office here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The aim of the new fisheries is to increase the fisheries productivity by bringing the entire water area available in the state under fisheries, as well as to provide self-employment to the people by promoting quality fish seed production and fisheries. In the new fisheries policy, a provision has also been made to give productivity bonus to the fishermen of the state. This amount of productivity bonus will be 25 percent of the amount that Chhattisgarh State Fisheries Federation will get from the auction of water bodies and barrages. Provision has been made in the new policy to encourage ornamental fisheries and gambusia fisheries in the state.
In the new fish farming policy, ponds and reservoirs of average water area of 0 to 10 hectare will be given 10-year lease by the Gram Panchayat as per rules. Under the Panchayati Raj system, the right to allot ponds and reservoirs of water area of more than 10 hectares and average water area of 100 hectares on lease for 10 years by inviting open tender for fish farming, to the Janpad Panchayat for more than 100 hectares and 200 hectares. ponds and reservoirs by the district panchayat, Reservoir and barrage of more than 200 and up to 1000 hectares will be allotted on lease by the Fisheries Department. Reservoirs and barrages having water area of more than 1000 hectares will be under the control of Chhattisgarh State Fisheries Federation. For the lease of reservoir and barrage by the Fisheries Federation, 50 percent of the income received from the open tender will be payable in the revenue account of the Fisheries Department. 25 percent of the remaining 50 percent will be given as productivity bonus to the fishermen engaged in fishing at the local level.
According to the provision of the new fisheries policy, the anicuts built on the rivers in the state and the deep pools located on them, which are more than 20 hectares, will be provided to the fishermen group, fish cooperative society, women self-help group, fishermen for a fixed period of time by the operator of fisheries. The person will be given on lease as per rules. For this, a river and Dahwar cooperative society will be formed for the fishermen of Anicuts and Daho villages who live by fishing. The system of free fishing in rivers and anicuts and deep pools with water area less than 20 hectares will remain the same. All the water areas coming under the urban body will remain under the urban body. The ponds and reservoirs of urban areas and urban bodies will be allotted on lease as per the policy of the government.
According to the new fisheries policy, the allocation of reservoirs / ponds with an average water area of 0 to 10 hectares will be done on priority basis to the fishermen group, fish cooperative society and local women’s group formed under the livelihood mission, fishermen and fish farmers. Diploma in fisheries, graduate or post graduate persons and unemployed youth will be considered as fishermen and fish farmers. The work of fish rearing in the ponds constructed for the Gauthans will be done by the Gauthan Samiti or the group identified by them. The increase in the lease amount by the panchayats will be done every two years by increasing the rate of 10%, which will be used in the development works of public interest.
In the new fisheries policy, with the provision to reduce the percentage of non-tribal members in tribal cooperative society from 33 to 30, the post of chairman of fishermen cooperative society in Scheduled Caste notified area has been reserved for Scheduled Tribes. For the post of Vice-Chairman of the committee, preference will be given to the member of fisherman caste. In every village, the Nistari pond will be marked by the Collector or his representative, who is not below the level of revenue sub-divisional officer. Fishing work will be completely restricted in the identified Nistari pond, so that the villagers do not face any kind of inconvenience in Nistar.
In the new fisheries policy, Fish Seed Certification Act will be made in the state for quality control and certification of fish seed, which will encourage the production of fish seed and give information about seed production technology. It will be mandatory for the producers and sellers of fish seeds to register with the Fisheries Department and get a license from the department. In the private sector, grants will be made available to encourage the construction of more and more hatcheries and promotion areas and according to the policy of the government. The unused and closed mines located in the state will be developed and given on lease to the local unemployed for fish farming. In order to promote fish farming in large mines, an initiative will be taken to establish cages. The Department of Fisheries will be fully authorized for the implementation of cage culture scheme in irrigation reservoirs, for this, the department will be able to lease the irrigation reservoir for a long period.
