Kolkata: To enhance fish production and foster employment opportunities in the fisheries sector, the Fisheries Department is embarking on a grassroots outreach program. The initiative involves direct interactions with newly-elected Matsya Karmadakshya (fisheries supervisors) in every district, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of their roles and the effective utilization of departmental schemes.
Biplab Roy Chowdhury, State Fisheries Minister, articulated the department’s mission during a workshop at the administrative building of South 24-Parganas district. “Our aim is to deliver the message to every supervisor, right up to the block level, that they should have a fair understanding of their responsibility and ensure that the fish farmers derive benefits from all the existing schemes of the department,” he stated.
The department plans to conduct similar workshops in districts associated with pisciculture, where higher officials will engage with rural-level officers to address challenges and facilitate the growth of fish production.
The role of Karmadakshya includes the allotment of block-wise quotas for beneficiary selection under various developmental schemes, ensuring the smooth implementation of all schemes in the district, and overseeing processes such as the issuance of Fishermen Registration Cards (FRC). The Matsyajeebi Bandhu (Death Benefit) Scheme, 2023, also falls under their purview, with a focus on assisting the family members or nominees of deceased fish farmers.
Avanindra Singh, Secretary of the department, highlighted the importance of tapping into the vast number of unused water bodies. Despite having 18.75 lakh water bodies, the highest in the country, Bengal lags behind Andhra Pradesh, which has one-third of the water bodies but triple the fish production. Singh emphasized, “We have to exploit the water bodies in an effective manner, providing employment to the unemployed in rural areas and simultaneously increasing the income level of existing fishermen.”
In South 24-Parganas, where 66996 hectares are available for pisciculture and the total number of fishermen stands at 4.98 lakhs, initiatives like the issuance of 2.30 lakh Fishermen Registration Cards aim to bolster the fisheries sector and uplift rural livelihoods.
