Shri Manojit Halder, Pradhan of Harinagar Gram Panchayat and Shri Dilip Kumar Das, PSM, Harinagar met with Ms. Jagtap Kalyani Rajendra (DANICS), Director of Fisheries on November 28, 2024 to discuss a number of key issues hitting the local fishing community.
According to information, the local fishermen have been facing predicaments owing to a plethora of issues such as delay in the Renewal of Fishing Boat licenses, unavailability of Subsidy on Fishing Equipment, non-existence of a Cold Storage Facility etc being the prime ones.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, the Pradhan GP Harinagar said that these are some of the basic issues which are directly affecting the local fishing community. Highlighting these points during the meeting, Mr. Halder and his colleague Mr. D.K. Das reportedly apprised the Director of Fisheries of the problems being faced by the fishermen owing to lengthy renewal process of their Fishing Boat licenses; in fact, it results in operational difficulties for fishermen thereby severely impacting their livelihood.
The fishermen often have to reportedly bear the brunt of high price of fishing gear without subsidy, and hence they stressed the need to provide fishing gear at subsidized rates, aiming to bolster the economic stability of the fishing community, the Pradhan said. Another crucial area which the Pradhan along with his political associate raised and urged the Director of Fisheries to address is early establishment of a Cold Storage facility for local fishermen without which the fishermen have to encounter a number of hurdles, they said.
They requested for setting-up of a Cold Storage Unit at the Superintendent Office in Billiground, utilizing the land already allotted to the Fisheries Department in Harinagar village. This facility would ensure proper preservation of the catch and significantly reduce post-harvest losses, they maintained.
The Director of Fisheries, on the other hand, reportedly attentively listened to the issues raised by the PRI elected members and assured them of prompt action to resolve these matters, Mr. Halder further said.