Rs 89 cr approved for fish farming in Haryana

Chandigarh, May 9 (UNI) An outlay of Rs 89.73 crore has been approved by the government for the implementation of various schemes aimed at promotion of fish farming in Haryana during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12).

A Fishery Department spokesman said that emphasis was being laid on bringing the available suitable water resources underfish culture by creating a class of fish farmers among the rural unemployed youth and Scheduled Caste persons.

He said emphasis was also being laid on diversification of suitable technologies for utilisation of underground saline water or saline soil, sewage and water logged area into economically viable fish or prawn culture units.

''There is a plan to bring 20,000 hectares of water area under fish culture and produce 90,000 tonne of fish by stocking 40 crore fish seed by the end of 11th Five Year Plan,'' he said.

During the current financial year, Rs 4.70 crore had been approved as the State Plan outlay and about Rs 4.06 crore approved as Central share for the promotion of fish farming.

''The target is to stock 33 crore fish seed and produce 61,000 tonne of fish during this financial year,'' he said.

It was envisaged to provide technical and financial assistance in fish farming to 13,120 families. A target had also been fixed to provide benefit to 670 families belonging to Scheduled Castes under the 20-Point Programme.

UNI