Par panel commends funding proposals for blue revolution scheme

A Parliamentary panel has lauded the government's efforts to go for market borrowings and external aided funding for the flagship centrally-sponsored scheme on Blue Revolution.

The nodal Agriculture Ministry's efforts to arrange funds come after the panel pulled up the government for allocating meagre sum for the scheme in its 53rd report and recommended it to pursue with the Finance Ministry on the same.

It observed that the allocation of Rs 400.73 crore for the 2017-18 fiscal was meagre when compared to the approved outlay of Rs 3,000 crore for the scheme on Blue Revolution.

In the action taken report placed before the Lok Sabha Thursday, the panel informed that the government was making efforts for market borrowings or external aided funding besides being promised a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore in the 2018-19 Budget for infrastructure development.

 

"While lauding this initiative, the committee feels that this will set an encouraging trend for adequate allocation of funds in the future as well," the report said.

Since optimal utilization of funds forms a basis of future allocations, the committee, therefore, recommended the ministry to come up with a reliable plan to appropriately utilize such funds for infrastructure development and other areas within the component.

The panel also said that about 61.2 per cent of the approved outlay has been allocated during the last four financial years for the scheme.

On the funding pattern of the scheme between the Centre and states, the panel said the ministry has not provided details of mechanisms used to ensure timely release of funds to beneficiaries.

It reiterated and urged the ministry to impress upon the states and union territories to come up with their matching share of funds under this scheme, so as to allow the beneficiaries/state machinery an unhindered access to central funds for the growth and development of inland fisheries in their respective States.

Under the scheme, financial assistance is given to beneficiaries for both captured and cultured Inland fisheries, for stocking of fish seed in reservoirs, for purchasing crafts and gear and feed-based fish culture in pens and cages in reservoirs besides for shrimp farming in inland saline water.