In the past two years, 467 fishermen from Gujarat — caught by the Pakistani security agencies on the high seas — were repatriated amid joint efforts by the Centre and the state, Gujarat Minister of State for Agriculture Bachubhai Khabad told the House on Monday. He was speaking on the budgetary demands for the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department for the year 2024-25, a government release said.
Gujarat, with its extensive coastline, is home to a large fishing community whose lives are closely linked to the sea. Nearly 260 villages of the state from 14 coastal districts earn a living out of fishing from the 1,058 such villages across the country, the Minister informed. Gujarat’s contribution to India’s total marine fish production is estimated at 15.86 per cent, with a share of 16.42 per cent in the total export of fish produce.
asThe state government allocated Rs 175.88 crore assistance for 3.22 lakh cows in 1,211 gaushalas and panjrapoles under the Gau-Maata Poshan Yojana in 2022-23, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Minister further informed the House.
The Budget also includes provisions for strengthening animal health services, including the establishment of 65 new permanent veterinary clinics and 50 new mobile veterinary clinics. Additionally, a provision of Rs. 70.38 crore has been made for the “Karuna Animal Ambulance-1962” services and mobile animal dispensaries serving more than 5,300 villages.
Furthermore, the government has taken steps to improve animal breeding services, with a focus on artificial insemination and modern technologies, the Minister said. Over 1.27 crore frozen semen doses have been produced in the last five years in the Frozen Semen Station in Patan, and more than 44 lakh artificial inseminations have been done in Gujarat under the Nationwide Artificial Insemination Programme.