Hyderabad: Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister Vakiti Srihari said the government had prepared a Telangana fish production roadmap covering 26,000 tanks and 100 reservoirs across the State. He said the plan aimed to expand inland fish production while improving welfare facilities and livelihood support for fishermen.
The Minister addressed presidents and promoters of district-level fishermen cooperative societies at the Ministers’ Quarters on Tuesday. During the meeting, he reviewed grassroots problems and discussed measures to modernise the fisheries sector. Srihari said the government had worked on an action plan to provide insurance cover, mopeds and retail outlet shops to fishermen.
He added that officials would hold special meetings with district fishermen cooperative society presidents once every three months. These meetings would review pending issues and track the government’s response.
Telangana fish production roadmap includes welfare measures
The Minister assured society representatives that the government would continue distributing fish fingerlings free of cost. He also said the department would make special efforts to clear dues pending to fishermen. Moreover, the government had examined measures to improve financial and social security for fishing communities.
Srihari said the government had already cleared insurance claims worth ₹1.34 crore related to fishermen. He added that the department would continue processing eligible claims and addressing delays wherever necessary. The Minister also discussed membership disputes in fishermen cooperative societies. He said officials would take steps to resolve those disputes at district, mandal and village levels.
According to Srihari, stronger cooperative structures would help fishermen access government schemes, markets and institutional support. He also assured cooperative society presidents that he would raise protocol-related concerns with the government. He said efforts would follow to secure an appropriate decision.
Telangana fish production roadmap linked to nutrition plan
The government had also examined the possibility of including fish in the midday meal programme. Srihari said the proposal aimed to improve the nutritional intake of students. However, he indicated that officials would study the operational requirements before taking a final decision.
The proposed measure could also create a steady institutional market for fish produced within Telangana. Meanwhile, the government had continued efforts to strengthen local supply chains and improve marketing opportunities for fishermen.
The Minister said the integrated fish market under construction at Koheda in Hyderabad would support online fish sales and distribution after completion. He said the facility would help connect fishermen, traders and consumers through a more organised marketing system. In addition, the market was expected to improve storage, distribution and retail access for fish products.
Srihari said the government had accorded high priority to the welfare and economic development of fishermen. He added that the State would continue supporting them in resolving operational, financial and cooperative-related problems.
The Minister said the Telangana fish production roadmap would combine production expansion with welfare support. Therefore, the plan covered both water resources and livelihood infrastructure.
He said the government wanted to increase fish production in tanks and reservoirs while ensuring that local fishing communities received direct economic benefits. The roadmap also included better access to insurance, mobility support, retail outlets and organised markets.
Srihari said regular consultations with cooperative societies would remain part of the implementation process. He added that field-level feedback would help the department identify problems and refine its policies.
The Minister reiterated that the government would stand by fishermen and continue resolving their concerns. He said the proposed measures would strengthen inland fisheries, improve incomes and create a more stable support system for fishing communities across Telangana.