Tripura increases fish output by 5,000 MT; Rs 38 Cr market planned in Agartala: Minister

Tripura Fisheries Minister Sudhangshu Das on Sunday announced that the state has witnessed a rise of 5,000 MT in fish production over the last three years and informed that Rs 38 crore will be spent on setting up a modern fish market in Agartala.

Minister Das made this statement after the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Integrated Aqua Park and the inauguration of the Fish Festival at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan, Agartala, in the presence of Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh.

He said that due to various reasons, the foundation stone laying program was deferred earlier. “But today, we are happy that in the presence of the Union Minister, the foundation stone of the Integrated Aqua Park was laid.”

He said that around 98% of people in Tripura consume fish, and due to that, the demand is very high. “However, the demand stands at 1.17 lakh MT, while our own production is 86,000 MT — resulting in a gap of around 31,000 MT. This gap is being fulfilled through imports from West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bangladesh, and Odisha,” he added.

He mentioned that the state has the potential to cultivate up to 1.50 lakh MT of fish. “The way the central government is helping us with schemes is really beneficial, due to which around 5,000 MT of fish production has increased in the last three years,” he said.

The Minister added that those who have ponds are cultivating fish mainly to fulfil their own demands and not for commercial purposes.

He said that he wanted everyone to work not only for their own needs but also to meet the state's demand. Fishery officials, he added, must provide training to the people and motivate them to increase fish production and generate income. “The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana is a successful and historic scheme for us. I want to thank PM Modi for this. I urge the Union Minister to extend the scheme further,” he said.

He mentioned that they were also utilising previously unutilised water bodies and had decided to use them for fish production. He added that three projects had been undertaken to involve the Scheduled Caste community villages in fish production. “Rs 38 crore has been sanctioned to convert Gol Bazaar of Agartala into a Modern Fish Market. Additionally, Rs 10 crore will be spent in Rajnagar village and in Unakoti,” he added.