'Modern Integrated Fish Landing Centre' to come up in Cachar

SILCHAR: An Integrated Fish Landing Centre will come up in Cachar district at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). Additional Deputy Commissioner, Cachar, Kamal Baruah visited the fishery proposed project site along with other officials of line departments such as PWD (Road), PWD (Building), APDCL, PHED, DAO, BDO, Veterinary, Soil Conservation, WRD, etc for detail feasibility study of the site located at Silcoorie Ghungor under Borjalenga Block in Cachar on Tuesday.

This place is identified by the Fisheries department, Cachar for a Modern Integrated Fish Landing Centre worth Rs.25 crore under PMMSY in order to provide various facilities to the fishers and fishermen community which will be a notable fisheries project for the welfare of fishing community as well as fish farming community.

Minister for Fisheries, Parimal Suklabaidya at whose initiative the new project is coming up, said a well-developed fishing hub can look into the proper development of all the connected facilities in terms of quality assurance of the landings, its hygienic handling, pre-processing, packing, transportation and marketing. "Proper availability of infrastructure and accessories, including quality ice, dry ice, and cold slurry units would help maintain the quality of the landed catch," he quipped.

Suklabaidya pointed out that fish being a highly perishable commodity, requires well-developed, efficient landing and handling facilities and distribution channels. "The new ambitions project of the Fisheries department is a right step towards the promotion of responsible fisheries. It will help in improving the infrastructure facility, maintaining the quality of the landed catch and thereby improve the overall value of fish and fish products," he said.

Sharing his reaction, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Baruah said, "Nowadays fishery business is not confined within a particular community as it is being taken into industrial line due to development of recent technology and has become an employment generation avenue." Further elaborating on the project taken up by the Fisheries department, ADC, Baruah said, "As the project site has vast potential, all the technical departments are requested to co-operate and provide valuable inputs for making the fisheries project a successful one since the people of the entire area as well as other parts of the district will be benefitted by this project.

Ultimately a fisheries hub will come up with the fishing community and fish farmers getting proper facilities with hygienic condition for improving their socio-economic lot. Speaking on the occasion, District Fisheries Development Officer, Rafiqul Haque said, "The proposed project will come up at Silcoorie, Ghungor of Borjalenga Block under PMMSY and it will offer all kinds of facilities such as integrated fish auction hall, wholesalers and retail outlet, ice plant, cold storage, parking facilities, water supply, etc to the people involved in fishery business. More than 1,000 people will be running their businesses daily at this centre by availing all kinds of modern facilities. There will be a sea change in the fisheries sector." Haque revealed that around 10-15 tonnes of fish will land at the centre whose market value will be worth Rs.20 lakh, stated a press release.

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