HYDERABAD: With an aim to empower the 40 lakh families belonging to fishermen communities and to benefit the state exchequer, the government will be conducting a study on fish culture — the process of raising fish in captivity for commercial purposes, such as food production, in Karnataka.
The government has found that licensed contractors are procuring fish from fishermen at cheaper prices and selling the same at an exorbitant prices.
Speaking to TNIE, Telangana Fishermen Cooperative Federation Ltd. chairman Mettu Sai Kumar said that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has taken a special interest in the welfare of 40 lakh fishermen families.
He said that the government was considering the possibility of cancelling tenders awarded to private players during the BRS regime.
Stating that Karnataka had adopted a “better policy” in fish trade, he said that before bringing reforms in the state, they will be studying the policies of other states.
“The licensed contractors of 102 dams in the state are purchasing fish at Rs 50 to Rs 70 per kg from the fishermen, and selling it Rs 120 per kg. Because of this practice, our fishermen are losing out. We are planning to directly benefit the fishermen by taking nominal charges from them,” Sai Kumar said.
He also said that the previous BRS government has left the Telangana Fishermen Cooperative Federation Ltd in Rs 48.73 lakh debt, while claiming to have allocated Rs 100 crore annually. “Where did all that money go,” he wondered.