Telangana to formulate comprehensive plan for fisheries, sheep rearing

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday has instructed concerned officers to formulate on a comprehensive plan for fisheries and sheep rearing.

In a statement, the Chief Minister expressed his desire to restructure fish breeding centres and similarly, for the sheep rearing and supplying parallel in 30 districts of the State except in Hyderabad.

The Chief Minister had chaired a high level review meeting on fisheries, sheep rearing and dairy development in the state at Pragathi Bhavan here on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the officials concerned should work with commitment and dedication to implement successfully programmes like the fisheries development, sheep rearing and dairy development.

"To gain people's confidence over the government, the Chief Minister said the programmes of the government should be implemented without being indifferent. Successful implementation of these programme would eradicate poverty," Rao said.

In order to implement several development programmes in the fisheries, there is a need for the establishment of a corporation or federation. He said castes such as Boya and Kuruma are also dependent on fisheries like the Gangaputra and Mudiraj communities.

He said that in the entire state, there are about three to four lakh Yadav families who are living on sheep rearing and the government is ready to support them. He wanted the officials concerned to identify suitable lands on Krishna and Godavari River Basin to set up Colleges for Fisheries.

Rao added that there is a need to form societies for the fish growers and sheep rearers and members from other communities which are also dependent on fisheries and sheep rearing should be made members.

He added there will be more development in the growing and supply of fish in near future and the entire face of the fisheries in the state will change for the better.

Since the government has plans to fill up more than 46,000 tanks in the state by getting water from irrigation projects, the Chief Minister said every tank in the state should become a breeding place for the fish. Efforts will be on to bring in all tanks under the fisheries department.

The Chief Minister also spoke about the dairy development with the officials concerned. He wanted them to prepare a comprehensive plan so that the daily need of milk in the state should be augment from the sources within the state but not imported milk from other areas. The state should become self-sufficient in dairy products, he said.

To instil confidence among the sheep rearers and fish growers, Rao wanted the Telangana cultural council to make short films, songs, CDs to create awareness among the beneficiaries.