Kolkata, Sept. 21 -- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday sought stronger Centre-State cooperation to expand Bengal's fisheries sector, while Union Fisheries minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh assured all assistance to help the state become the country's top fish producer and handed over a Rs 9-crore sanction for six Amrit Sarovar projects in two drought-prone districts.
Co-chairing a high-level fisheries review meeting with Union fisheries minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh in Kolkata, Adhikari stressed the need for improved infrastructure, technology and safety systems for fishermen, particularly those operating in deep-sea waters. He said the meeting was the first apex-level review of Bengal's fisheries sector in more than a decade and criticised the previous Trinamool regime for sending only junior officers to such meetings.
The Centre granted administrative approval for six reservoirs at Rs 8.32 crore, including a Rs 4.99-crore central share, to boost inland fisheries, while Adhikari sought better connectivity, safety systems, harbours, cold chains and coastal infrastructure in North and South 24-Parganas and the Sundarbans.
CM also stressed convergence of schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, National Fisheries Digital Platform and PM-MKSSY to improve access to finance, technology and welfare benefits.
Bengal produced 25.43 lakh tonnes of fish in 2025-26, retaining its position as India's second-largest fish-producing state. The Centre said Rs 617 crore had been invested under various schemes, benefiting over 30 lakh fisherfolk.
Singh said Bengal's fisheries exports, currently around Rs 5,000 crore, could rise to Rs 15,000-20,000 crore, with the Sundarbans potentially emerging as a hub for black tiger shrimp and mud crab cultivation.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.