Recent inspections by the fisheries department in Ghaziabad have exposed irregularities in the allocation of subsidies under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), a central government initiative. Allegedly, certain beneficiaries in Ghaziabad received substantial funds for projects such as recirculatory aquaculture systems (RAS) for fish culture, pond rejuvenation, hatching, and fish feed mills, but failed to execute the planned projects, according to inspection findings.
Swift action has been taken by the fisheries department, with recovery challans issued to implicated beneficiaries and an inquiry initiated to determine the possible involvement of officials in these irregularities. Officials estimate that the financial discrepancies could amount to crores of rupees. Sanjay Kumar Nishad, the fisheries development minister with the state government, revealed that three cases have been identified where beneficiaries obtained the first instalment of the subsidy but did not proceed with the intended projects.
The Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) involves water recycling to support high-density fish culture, minimizing the use of land, water, and fish meal. One beneficiary, Archana Srivastava from Shaklapur village, reportedly availed the subsidy for RAS but did not commence the installation process. Another beneficiary, Vishal Srivastava, secured a Rs 12 lakh subsidy for a small fish meal project, but an onsite inspection revealed that the project never materialized.
To address these discrepancies, the fisheries department has issued recovery challans to the implicated beneficiaries and launched an investigation to identify additional cases of subsidy misuse. Those found guilty will be required to return the subsidy amount along with a 12% interest rate, as stated by Maurya, an official involved in the investigation.
The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, implemented by the fisheries department under the Union fisheries, animal husbandry, and dairying ministry, has allocated an investment of Rs 20,050 crore for the upliftment of the fisheries sector from the financial year 2020-21 to 2024-25.
