The West Bengal government has started imparting pisciculture training to destitute women, minister Sashi Panja has said.
The Women and Child Development department along with the fisheries department, is imparting the training to women in state-run homes, the Women and Child Development minister said at the inaugural function of the 'Bengal Fish Fest' at Nalban Food Park here.
"The first such training has already begun at our Liluah Home. The inmates will also be skilled up in cutting of fish and packaging," she said at the Fish Fest, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and the department of fisheries, which started yesterday.
Fisheries Minister Chandra Nath Sinha launched a mobile app 'Smartfish' to enable the public buy fish online and delivered at the doorstep in any form - fillet, dressed, dry.
He said the app, developed by State Fisheries Development Corporation (SFDC), had already been successfully used on a pilot basis in Salt Lake.
The app can be downloaded from the play store and over 20 varieties of fish and seven varieties of dried fish will be made available through the app.
The minister said the government is also giving stress on marketing of fish and imparting training to women in self-help groups as part of the move. "This will also help in increasing employment opportunities," he said.
Sinha also inaugurated a delivery system by state-run Benfish where cooler-fitted bikes will take fillet, dry fish and cooked fish to the doorstep of people.
The third edition of the festival, having 90 stalls including 40 well-known restaurants apart from government stalls from various departments, will continue till January 7.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)