Minister Lays Stone For 50 Projects In Northeast

New Delhi: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Monday laid the foundation stone for 50 projects worth Rs 50 crore to enhance the northeast region's fishery infrastructure, productivity and create job opportunities.

The minister launched the 'Organic Fisheries Cluster' in the Soreng district for development of organic fisheries and aquaculture in Sikkim under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Of the total 50 projects under PMMSY, a maximum of 24 projects will be implement-ed in Sikkim, followed by Assam (12), Tripura and Nagaland (3 each) and Meghalaya (1), ac-cording to an official statement.

In Assam, an Integrated Aqua Park will be established in the Darrang district with a capacity to produce 150 tonnes of fish annually creating up to 2,000 job opportunities. A large fish feed plant will come up in the Kamrup district with a capacity to produce 20,000 tonnes of feed annually while hatchery projects in various districts aim to produce 50 million spawns per year, significant-ly boosting local aquaculture.

In Manipur, ice plants and cold storage units will be set up in Thoubal and Imphal districts to pre-serve fish produce and reduce post-harvest losses. Additionally, hatcheries focusing on locally important fish species will contribute to conserving biodiversity and enhancing fish production in the state.

The projects in Meghalaya will focus on promoting recreational fisheries in the East Khasi Hills District. This initiative, strategically located in a popular tourist area, is expected to attract visitors, generate local employment and enhance the region's tourism appeal. In Nagaland, three projects will include the construction of freshwater finfish hatcheries in the Mokokchung and Kiphire dis-tricts.