Imphal, September 19: Verification of the poor and homeless fishermen for extending the benefit under the scheme of National Welfare Fund for Fishermen has been conducted during a joint public meeting at Thanga Higher Secondary School today.

In all, 45 homeless fishermen have been verified as beneficiaries of the scheme during the meeting attended by Commerce and Industries Minister N Mangi, LDA chairman MLA N Loken, Thanga A/C MLA Ibohal and Additional Director of Fisheries Karam Saratkumar among other Government officials and the local people.

The scheme is to be implemented with 50: 50 funding pattern to be shared between the Centre and the State Government.

Houses would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 40,000 each for the beneficiaries besides digging/maintenance of one tube well/community tank at an estimated cost of Rs 35,000 for each of 20 fishermen and community hall for each of 75 families of the fishermen.

Speaking at the occasion, the Commerce and Industries Minister made it clear that the fishermen who have no house of their own are entitled to get the benefit of the scheme being implemented by the Fisheries Department.

He also exhorted the gathering to ensure that the criteria laid down for the selection of the beneficiaries are judiciously followed.

Apart from implementing of the scheme, the Minister informed that efforts are on for setting up one Jetty each at Ithing, Takmu and Ningthoukhong which would serve as a resting place for the fishermen in consultation with LDA.

Efforts are also being made for clearing the Phumdis which have covered almost 95 percent of the surface of the Loktak lake, the Minister said.

The Minister further informed the gathering that the Fisheries Department is presently making arrangement to bring out fishing boats made from glass fibre.

The trial of these boats would be done at Kangla pat every soon, he added.

In his address, local MLA S Ibohal pointed out that the fishermen have been facing lot of difficulties with fish production from Loktak declining over the years due to the menace caused by Phumdis.

He also fervently appealed to the Fisheries Department and the LDA for taking up steps up measures for ameliorating the problems of the fishermen.

In the current year, a total of 117 houses have to be constructed for the fishermen at Karang, Khordak and Ishok besides digging up 6 ponds and one community tank under the scheme.

Comment