LEH: The UT Level Monitoring and Approval Committee (UTLMAC) has approved the annual action plan for the financial year 2023-24 under the PMMSY scheme for Ladakh, with a total outlay of Rs 14.69 Crore.
The approval was given by UTLMAC chairman, Ravinder Kumar, Secretary, Animal & Sheep Husbandry & Fisheries, Ladakh at its its annual meeting convened on Tuesday.
At the outset of the session, Assistant Director Fisheries Leh presented the Annual Action Plan with an outlay of Rs 14.69 Crore, comprising a Government Share of Rs 8.99 Crore, Beneficiary Share of Rs 5.58 Crore, and Rs 12.693 lacs as administrative expenses.
Notably, this year’s action plan proposed a 20% enhanced unit cost as per the provisions outlined in the PMMSY guidelines.
Under the Enhancement of fish production and productivity, the department proposed the construction of 70 Trout Raceways along with inputs, 5 Trout Hatcheries, 1 Large RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture System), and 5 Medium RAS units.
Additionally, the plan included the proposal of 3 small RAS and 2 Backyard Mini RAS as part of the technology infusion component. For post-harvest management under PMMSY, 2 Storage Plants with a 10-ton capacity were proposed.
The action plan also included measures for proper marketing, such as Insulated vehicles and Motorcycles with Ice Boxes. To facilitate local trout feed production, a Mini feed mill with a 2 tons per day capacity was proposed for the Ladakh region. Furthermore, the plan entailed the development of marketing infrastructure, including 8 fish kiosks and 1 unit of value-added enterprise.
During the meeting, the Chairman reviewed the physical and financial progress of the previous year’s plan and emphasized the timely submission of utilization certificates for the release of the next installments without delay.
The members emphasized the construction of more RAS units in Ladakh due to their suitability for the region, requiring minimal water and land while ensuring good production. To ensure 24×7 power supply to the RAS units, the Director of ASH & Fisheries UT Ladakh proposed providing Solar Power backup to each unit.
Secretary Kumar advised for proper training of officials and beneficiaries regarding RAS technology and operations in coordination with the Director of Cold Water Fisheries Research (DCFR) in Bhimtal, Uttarakhand. He expressed satisfaction with the steady increase in fish production in Ladakh over the last couple of years and emphasized the need to further increase it to meet the growing fish demand in the region.
The meeting was attended by various dignitaries, including the Director of ASH & Fisheries UT Ladakh (Member Secretary), representatives from the Commissioner Secretary of PHE & FC UT Ladakh and Commissioner Secretary of Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Ladakh, the Convener of UT Level Banker Committee UTLBC Ladakh, and the Assistant Director of Fisheries Department Leh.
