West Bengal has been brought under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, with the Centre providing Rs 9 crore for fisheries development, Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari said after a meeting with Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh in New Town on Monday. The announcement could open access to loans and other scheme-linked support for fishers across the state, according to the chief minister’s account of the meeting.
The discussion was held at the state animal resources development department and lasted about one and a half hours. The meeting was attended by Singh, Adhikari, Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal and Minister of State for Fisheries Rajesh Mahato, the report said.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Adhikari said West Bengal had significant potential in the fisheries sector and thanked the Union minister for making Rs 9 crore available for its development. He said the state would now receive benefits under the central fisheries scheme, including access to loans as required by fishers.
The announcement places fisheries administration and access to central funding at the centre of the state’s immediate development agenda. The chief minister said the scheme could support fishing communities in coastal and riverine areas, including the Sundarbans, where livelihoods are closely linked to aquatic resources. He also referred to the presence of the sea and rivers in southern West Bengal while discussing the state’s fisheries potential.
The meeting also addressed the uneven conditions for fish farming across districts. Adhikari said fishers in southern districts face fewer difficulties because of access to coastal and river systems, while dry districts such as Bankura and Purulia face greater challenges in fish cultivation. According to his statement, the Centre has approved six Amrit Sarovars in these districts based on the state’s proposal.
Amrit Sarovars are water assets that, in this case, are expected to support fish cultivation in districts where water availability is a constraint. The report did not provide the locations, size, construction schedule or implementing agencies for the six approved ponds. It also did not specify how the Rs 9 crore will be divided between infrastructure, credit-linked support and other fisheries activities.
Singh praised the new state government and alleged that earlier efforts to extend central benefits to West Bengal had been held up because state officials did not provide the required cooperation. He said work that had remained pending for five years was completed within four months. These comments were made during the press briefing and were not accompanied in the report by details of the earlier applications, pending approvals or administrative records.
The immediate next steps will involve the state and Centre working out the implementation of the fisheries scheme, including the release and use of the announced funds, access to credit for fishers and the development of the six approved Amrit Sarovars in Bankura and Purulia. The report did not state a completion deadline or identify the next administrative milestone.
