1000 new fisheries cooperative societies to be formed in Telangana: Harish Rao

Finance Minister Harish Rao SAID 1,000 new fisheries cooperative societies would soon be formed in the State.

Hyderabad: Finance Minister Harish Rao said 1,000 new fisheries cooperative societies would soon be formed in the State.

Harish Rao, who along with Fisheries Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav and MLC Banda Prakash, held a meeting at the MCR HRD Institute here to discuss the formation of new fishing societies here on Saturday, asked officials to complete the process of new memberships in three months. It has been decided to give membership in marketing societies to fishermen who have completed 18 years of age, Harish Rao said.

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Stating that since many years there has been a demand from the fishermen to form new fisheries industrial societies and give new memberships, the Minister said the State government had hence decided to form 1000 fisheries cooperative societies. Every eligible fisherman has the right to become a member of the association.

The Minister informed that skill tests have been completed for the members of the 650 newly formed fisheries cooperative societies, besides, the registration process of another 334 societies has been completed. According to him, as many as 13,900 people have been given membership in 650 fisheries cooperative societies and another 334 societies were conducting skill tests for membership.

Harish Rao informed that in the absence of water sources one member per two and half acres was selected in fisheries societies in the past, but now with the increase in water resources, the government has decided to select one member per acre of water body.

Srinivas Yadav stated that thousands of fishermen will get employment through the new Fisheries Society. A special drive was ordered to complete the membership process quickly, he informed.

Meanwhile, Harish Rao directed officials to complete the construction of Mudiraj, Yadava and Kurama Sangha buildings at the earliest.

He stated that the government had allocated Rs 5 crore and five acres of land for the construction of Mudiraj Bhavan and an additional Rs 2.61 crore will be sanctioned for the Yadava and Kurama Sangha buildings which are already under construction.

Special Chief Secretary Finance Ramakrishna Rao, Special Secretary Animal Husbandry Adhar Sinha, Fisheries Commissioner Lacchiram Naik, Dairy Development Chairman Soma Bharat Kumar and senior officials of fishery department were present.