The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Vaigai dam fishermen get welfare cards

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Friday, Mar 14, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Vaigai dam fishermen get welfare cards

Staff Reporter

To enjoy all benefits: Fisheries Minister K.P.P. Samy

Houses will be constructed under special free house programme for 58
Steps to be taken to de-silt dam area to increase storage and fish production

THENI: For the first time in the State, inland fishermen in Vaigai dam area at Andipatti have received Fishermen Welfare Board membership card.

Distributing the card to fishermen at a function held at the dam site here on Thursday, Minister for Fisheries Department, K.P.P. Samy said that Fishermen Welfare Board, second in the country, would take all the benefits enjoyed by the sea faring fishermen to domestic fishermen too. Subsidy would be offered to inland fishermen to set up fish farms at villages. Financial assistance would also be given for purchase of net and other accessories meant for fishing.

Fifty per cent of equipment cost would be given as subsidy, he added. The government had sanctioned Rs.1 crore to give subsidy to fishermen. Houses would be constructed under special free house programme to 58 fishermen in Vagai dam area shortly.

Already 107 houses were constructed at an estimated cost of Rs.39.59 lakh under this scheme in the district. Educational assistance of Rs.300 per month has been extended to wards of fishermen, Mr. Sami said. Steps would also be taken to de-silt Vaigai dam to increase storage area to enable fishermen to grow more fish. We will seek help from Public Works Department in this connection, he added.

Later, the minister inspected the fish farm near the dam and advised officials to take efforts to grow fish on large scale.

Collector S.J. Chiru, Bodinayackanur MLA S. Lakshmanan, Deputy Director for Fisheries Arumugam and others participated.

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