Hyderabad: With all reservoirs and tanks reaching their full level, the TS government is focusing on improving fish production in the state this year.
Fish consumption in the state has been estimated at Rs 30,000 crore a year, of which only 15 per cent is being produced in Telangana.
The government will now take up fish production in 4,553 reservoirs through a special programme from October 2 to 10.
The government will supply fingerlings to fish farmers for free during this period.
Minister for animal husbandry Talasani Srinivas Yadav held a meeting with officials of the department in the Secretariat on Thursday to review the measures for the successful implementation of the programme.
Officials told the minister that stocks of fingerlings have been kept ready in all the districts, barring Warangal and Nizamabad due to problems in finalisation of tenders.
The minister directed officials to complete the process by Saturday so that there is no disruption to the programme from October 2.
“The programme has been taken up to benefit 32 lakh fish farmers in state this year. The government is spending Rs 37 crore to supply fingerlings to farmers free of cost. This is for the first time in two years that all the reservoirs and tanks have attained full level in the state and the conditions are ideal to enhance fish production in TS,” Mr Yadav said.
He said the government cancelled previous tenders following complaints of contractors forming a cartel and quoting higher prices.
“Earlier, they quoted Rs 1.22 for each fingerling. We cancelled those tenders and invited fresh tenders. This time, they quoted just Rs .90, which was finalised,” Mr Yadav said.
