Good News for Fishermen! Govt Launches 2 Schemes for Fishermen Community

In the financial year 2022-23, the Uttar Pradesh government announced two new schemes for the welfare and economic well-being of the state's 17 sub-castes of the 'machhua' (fishermen) group, who have been hard hit by the loss of their traditional sources of income and livelihood. The schemes were proposed in the BJP's assembly election manifesto for 2022.

The two new schemes, as well as the Nishadraj Boat Subsidy Yojna, have been allocated Rs 4 crore in the budget 2022-23. The state government is funding the schemes.

"These are new schemes," said Rajneesh Dubey, assistant chief secretary (fisheries), "they are aimed to benefit those who have been given a lease for ponds in gram sabhas."

The plans would double fish output in the state and, more importantly, double the income of all people who have been assigned pond leases in the gram sabhas, including leaseholders from the poor fishermen community, which makes up 3-4 percent of the state's population.

The Nishadraj Boat Subsidy scheme, which is primarily for the 17 sub-castes of the 'machhua' group - knew, Ramallah, nishad, bind, dheemar, Kashyap, railway, Cheaha, manjhi, gond, kahar, Latham, and gods, among others - has been given a provision of Rs 2 crore in the budget.

Poor people from the SC group, on the other hand, maybe covered by the scheme. The state government would subsidize the purchase of boats and fishing nets under the scheme. A subsidy of Rs 28,000 (40 percent of the per-unit cost) will be offered against a boat that costs Rs 50,000 and a net that costs Rs 17,000 (total cost of Rs 67,000).

Every year, 1,500 leaseholders in gram panchayat will be covered by the scheme, for a total of 7,500 persons in five years. On the one hand, this will prevent illicit fishing and income loss for the state government, but it will also encourage more people from the fishing community to participate in protecting the state's fish resources.

There are two projects to benefit the poor and backward leaseholders from the community in the gram panchayat under the Mukhyamantri Matsya Sampada Yojna, which is the other new plan catering to the fisherman community. The goal is to boost fish production in ponds in rural regions as well.

In the first year, the state government will establish 100 fish seed banks at ponds that have been improved under MGNREGS convergence in gram panchayat and for which a lease has been provided. There could be 500 of these banks founded in the next five years.

The government would provide a 40 percent subsidy on the first-year investment made by leaseholders in such ponds. The state government would pay a subsidy of Rs 1.6 lakh, or 40% of the entire input cost, for an input cost of Rs 4 lakh.

The scheme will benefit leaseholders for ponds with a total area of 500 hectares in the first year and 2,500 hectares after five years. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna, which includes ponds on private land, is not the same as the Mukhyamantrai Matsya Sampada Yojna. The ponds on gram panchayat land area are covered by the Mukhyamantrai Matsya Sampada Yojna.