Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday laid foundation stone virtually for the construction of a fishing harbour at Ameenabad village on the Uppada coast in East Godavari district, aiming at commissioning it by 2024.
The Fisheries Department has called for tenders for the ₹422-crore project that will have an annual handling capacity of 1.10 lakh tonne. The project will provide livelihood for nearly 50,000 families in the district. The last date for submission of tender is December 12.
Financial assistance
The department will get financial aid of ₹245 crore from the Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) and ₹150 crore from the NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance. The State government will spend ₹27 crore.
This is the second fishing harbour in the district, where 4,722 boats are engaged in the marine activity. The annual catch in the district is 35,164 tonnes. In 2019, the catch was 82,911 tonnes.
In his address marking the World Fisheries Day, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “The State government has released ₹78 crore compensation, which the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Limited (GSPC) owes to the fishermen for the loss of livelihood due to the drilling activity on the East Godavari coast in 2012. I have released the compensation within six months of assuming office. The issue was left unaddressed since 2012.”
“More than 16,500 families from 68 villages in eight mandals of the district received the compensation,” Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
Fisheries University
The Chief Minister said construction of AP State Fisheries University proposed in West Godavari district would begin early next year.
Minister Ch. Venu Gopala Krishna and P. Viswaroop, East Godavari Collector D. Muralidhar Reddy, and fishermen from Ameenabad and Uppada were present during the video-conference.
