West Bengal to offer incentives to fisheries sector

To attract investors in the fisheries sector, the West Bengal government would offer incentives which it normally provide to other industries, a senior official said today.
The state government would come up with new policies to attract investment in the fisheries sector in mid-October, Department of Fisheries Principal Secretary Sayeed Ahmed Baba said today at the 'Investment Opportunities in Fisheries Sector of West Bengal' organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce here.
State's minister-in-charge Chandranath Sinha was also present at the conference.
"West Bengal had no policy for the fisheries sector. The state government is working on a new policiy for the sector and hopefully it would be unveiled by mid-October," Baba said.

"And there would be a particular chapter on the incentives, subsidies, grants in terms of what the government of West Bengal would provide the enterpreneurs investing in this sector... And to my understanding it will be what are normally provided to other industries," he said.
"It could be Capital subsidy, stamp duty and electricity and what we generally offer to small industries," the official elaborated.

In its bid to welcome investments in its fisheries sector the state government would also lease waterbodies long-term or on a PPP mode or it could also be a joint venture, the official said.
"Any private company, entrepreneur can also go for water management (aquaculture) on lease basis plus. We also have number of water bodies and land which we can offer once the policy is approved by the government... This can be on a long term lease, or it can be a joint-venture or a PPP mode... We have the National Social Development Programme (NSDP). There are number of support for entrepreneurs socities," Baba added.

Asked about the areas where the state required changes, the official said: "West bengal fishery need lots of technological changes. We are still very much traditional in the fishery sector as compared to Andhra Pradesh. They have used technology for the benefit of the produciton as well as for export. Apart from that we need capital investement," he stated.
The state would also want investors to invest in fish tourism, Baba said.
"We have large number of tourist lodges, beautiful, lands and we are inviting private companies to come forward and promote tourism... West Bengal has a huge potential in fish tourism," he said.