Telangana: Enrollment for new fishermen co-operative societies begins

In yet another attempt to boost fish cultivation in Telangana, the State government has begun efforts to strengthen the fishermen co-operative societies.

Hyderabad: In yet another attempt to boost fish cultivation in Telangana, the State government has begun efforts to strengthen the fishermen co-operative societies. Accordingly, a three-month-long membership drive will be launched soon to enrol around 1.3 lakh fishermen across the State. Youngsters above the age of 18 and hailing from communities such as Mudiraj, Gangaputra, Tenugu, Gundlabestha, Bestha and Mutharasi, are eligible to enrol their names for membership.

As part of its efforts strengthen the rural economy, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi government has been promoting agriculture and allied sectors including fisheries by releasing fishlings at free of cost into various water bodies across the State. These water bodies are given on lease to the fishermen co-operative societies for a nominal fee, making inland fishing a remunerative profession in the State.

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The number of fishermen co-operative societies in Telangana increased from 3,200 in 2014-15 to 5,200 in 2022-23 with membership increasing from 2.2 lakh to 3.57 lakh respectively. Similarly, the fish production increased from around 1.99 lakh tonnes worth Rs 2,252 crore in 2016-17 to nearly 3.89 lakh tonnes worth Rs 5,859 crore in 2021-22. As a result, the fisheries share in Telangana’s Gross State Domestic Production (GSDP) rose from 0.3 percent to 0.5 percent and also played crucial role in strengthening the rural economy.

Accordingly, the State government has begun efforts to encourage more youth to take up fish cultivation in the State and launched the membership drive to enrol a total 1.3 lakh new members. After the membership drive is completed, new fishermen co-operative societies will be formed. Under the first phase of the special drive, about 406 societies with 7,963 members have been formed and the formation of another 241 societies is underway which will be completed by this month end. The officials have been instructed to take up the second phase of special enrolment drive for three months and achieve the target.

Fisheries Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav on Tuesday instructed the officials to focus on villages which do not have any fishermen co-operative societies till date and form new societies. He stated that due to construction of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme and other irrigation projects, the availability of water in all major water bodies including village tanks and reservoirs has increased significantly which helped in increased fish production. Integrated fisheries development coupled with free distribution of fishlings and shrimp along with fishermen welfare programmes, has catapulated Telangana into a major inland fish production centre, he added.