The Tripura government is taking comprehensive steps to make the state self-sufficient in fish production, with a new fisheries policy introduced to accelerate sector development and strengthen the livelihoods of fish farmers, Animal Resources Development Department (ARDD) Minister Sudhangshu Das said on Saturday.
Speaking to ANI, Das said the initiatives would also encourage youth to take up fish farming as a sustainable livelihood option, helping them achieve financial self-reliance while contributing to the growth of the state's fisheries sector.
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A key development in the sector has been the appointment of 52 new Fishery Officers in Tripura since 2016 — a milestone celebrated by both the minister and Chief Minister Manik Saha as a symbol of transparent, merit-based recruitment.
"After 2016, these fishery officer appointments have been made here. Since our government came to power, so many jobs have been given through transparency. It has become a culture to get a job by luring a leader or by collaborating with a party. This will not happen in our government. We have already given jobs to over 20,000 people, and today, 52 fishery officer appointments have been made. This will increase fish production," CM Saha said.
Saha also said skill development programmes are in place for newly appointed fishery officers, and expressed confidence that Tripura's fish production targets would be met in the near future.
The ARDD minister said Tripura had set an ambition to overtake other states in fish consumption and production, and that the fisheries sector was being positioned as a benchmark for development in the state.