CM Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Caged Pisciculture Scheme at Balipara

Speaking at the inaugural function which was rather a simple affair, Chief Minister Sonowal said that the COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant lockdown have brought fore several facets of State's strength, opportunities and weaknesses. Based on these revelations, Assam's economy has to be revamped in the coming days. In sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of Rs. 20 lakh crore and his call for 'self-reliant India', Assam will have to take the advantage of this financial stimulus to strengthen its stressed economy amid coronavirus pandemic.

Chief Minister Sonowal said, "It is an appropriate time for us to become self-reliant and take a pledge to produce items sufficient for our consumption." Stating that the youths of the State will have to take crucial role in bringing in transformation in to State's economy, Chief Minister Sonowal said that the Re-circulatory Aquaculture System that the government of Assam has launched would revolutionize the fishery sector of the State with sustained patronage from the youths.

Chief Minister Sonowal also urged upon the people of the State to become self-reliant by virtue of their committed works. He also said that the lockdown had given opportunity to the farmers of the State to showcase their potentiality and possibility. During this period apart from meeting the domestic demands, they sent their produce to the states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh etc. On the other hand, the farmers of the state have been in position to export their produce to London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore. During lockdown, the farmers of the state earned Rs. 365 crore by selling their produce.

Urging upon the youths to devote themselves in revenue generating incomes, Sonowal said that the Government of Assam has taken several steps to stimulate the productivity of the youths. He also said that around 45 thousand youths of the State have already received employment generating training from the government and as a result, secured employments in different sectors. He also stated that the Assam Start Up-TheNest has instilled income generating skills to the youths of the state. Empowered from this skill development avenue, entrepreneurs of the state created around 1700 direct vocations and 40 thousand indirect vocations.

Speaking on the occasion, Fishery Minister Parimal Suklabaidya said that as a result of a series of steps taken by the government over the last 4 years, the fishery department has unleased solvency in pisciculture in the state. He also said that Re-circulatory Aquaculture System would be able to increase the fish production by three times as the system would enable to practise pisciculture in limited plot of land. He also said that under CMSGUY and Ghare Ghare Pukhuri Ghare Ghare Maachas many as 10 thousand beneficiaries got benefitted.

Meanwhile, as a result of the liberal schemes of the government, fish production in the state has been able to cater to markets of Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram besides fulfilling its own demands.

Water Resources Minister Keshab Mahanta also spoke on the occasion. MLAs Rupak Sharma, Dimbeswar Das, Chief Minister's Media Advisor Hrishikesh Goswami, Principal Secretary Agriculture Rajesh Prasad, DC and SP Nagaon were present on the occasion.

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