In order to safeguard the interest of fishing farmers, Madhya Pradesh government has approved its new Fisheries Policy-2008 by empowering district panchayats to manage water bodies spread upto the area of 1000 hectares.
The new policy was approved by the state cabinet yesterday in its meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, an official release said today.
It was decided at the meeting that powers of water area management in respect of water area measuring from 100 hectare to 1000 hectare will be vested with the district panchayats.
Earlier, the maximum limit was 2000 hectares. It was also decided that the powers of three-tier panchayat institutions in respect of management of ponds-reservoirs shall be retained by them while the powers of patta (lease) allotment for fish farming activities will only be vested with theFisheries Department.
Moreover, the cabinet decided that the patta amount would not be realised from the beneficiaries in the event of natural calamity due to which fish seed could not be collected keeping in view the loss suffered by them.
It was decided that the prescribed patta amount would be charged from the beneficiaries for carrying out fish farming activities only in such tanks where Singhara and Kamal Gatta (kamal stem) is also produced along with fish farming activities.
The Cabinet also decided to exempt registration fee for giving pattas of all tanks and irrigation reservoirs for carrying out fish farming activities.
