SRIKAKULAM/VIZIANAGARAM: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying Parshottam Rupala on Saturday, asserted that the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been spending at least Rs 20,000 crore under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for the development of the fishermen community. As part of this, the government has been providing deep sea fishing boats under subsidy to the fishermen, he added.
Participating, along with Minister of State L Murugan, in the Sagara Parikrama Yatra organised at Budagatlapalem in Srikakulam and Chintapalli in Vizianagaram district , he said that Andhra Pradesh is on top of getting the funds under fisheries infrastructure development funds in the nation. The Union Minister was accorded a rousing welcome from the local fishermen with their traditional dances.
Later, they interacted with the local fisherwomen and inquired about the fish varieties, difficulties of fishing and marketing. He also distributed Kisan Credit Cards to 271 beneficiaries and assured them to set up a permanent fish-landing centre at Chintapalli.
Earlier in the day, the Union Ministers participated in the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra organised at Cherukupalli village under Bhogapuram mandal and stressed about the various welfare schemes and development activities being organised by the Central government.
“The Centre has introduced the Sagar Parikrama Yatra to facilitate interaction with fishermen, coastal communities, and stakeholders to disseminate information on various fisheries-related schemes and programmes being implemented by the Centre. As of today, we have visited a stretch of as many as 7,000 km coastal villages in the nation as part of the yatra, “ Union Minister Parshottam Rupala said.