Kerala - Kochi   

Ornamental fish village at Pananghad mooted

K.A. Martin

District Industries Centre to discuss the proposal with NGOs

KOCHI: The District Industries Centre (DIC), Ernakulam, will meet representatives of NGOs to discuss a proposal to set up an ornamental fish village at Pananghad with the help of various agencies, including Kerala Agriculture University's Fisheries College.

"The meeting is scheduled for November 19. The proposal has come from voluntary agencies in Pananghad and we are looking at the possibility of setting up an ornamental fish village," said an official of the DIC here on Wednesday.

Prathyasa scheme

The proposal came after the DIC sought to elicit suggestions for setting up new enterprises as part of its ongoing Prathyasa scheme.

In view of the technical help that will be available from the Pananghad Fisheries College, the proposal will be given priority it is learnt.

"The market for ornamental fish is growing rapidly and at present, supplies to Kerala come from Lakshwadeep Islands and even Chennai," he said.

The efforts of the DIC would be centred on arranging loans for the project, when it came through, under the PMRY scheme.

"It is expected that small units for breeding and exhibiting ornamental fish can be developed in at least 50 households in the village so that it becomes a centre for ornamental fish business."

Meanwhile, the DIC and the District Panchayat are working together on setting up supermarkets at all the eight municipal towns in the district and one within the Corporation area for exhibiting and selling products from women's self-help groups like those under the Kudumbasree.

Permanent outlets

The aim is to have centralised and permanent outlets for exhibition and sale of products from the rural areas from self-help groups, NGOs etc. Villages around each of the municipal towns will be able benefit from these supermarkets.

As per the District Panchayat scheme, various municipalities and the Corporation of Cochin will have to provide sufficient land or a building for the purpose of setting up supermarkets.

Land offered

It is learnt that the Paravoor Municipality has already offered five cents for the purpose of setting up a supermarket in the town.

A total of Rs. 1.5 crores has been provisioned for the project and it will be used over the next three years.

Besides, Rs. 10 lakhs each is being set aside during the three years for the implementation of the project.

The supermarkets are conceived in such a way that they meet the urgent need to have outlets that can showcase the varieties of products from groups and enterprises run by women, especially in rural areas.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Many takers for cooked seafood
Back among books, and music
No decision on Malaysian aid for Sabarimala road
Ornamental fish village at Pananghad mooted
Laying claim for IIT status
Workshop held for local body members
GCDA cancels bidding for Rameswaram plot
Cochlear implant offers hope in treating deafness in children
Swadeshi Mela to focus on indigenous technology
`Drop plan for construction at Mangalavanam'
Next issue
Around the City
In Kochi Today
Campus Notes

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu