A meeting of Chhattisgarh cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday approved amendments in the new fisheries policy in the state. According to the revised new fisheries policy, ponds and irrigation reservoirs for fish farming will no longer be auctioned but will be given on lease for 10 years.
Similarly, in the case of the village pond, instead of a maximum of one hectare, half a hectare of water area will be allotted to the fishermen group and fishery cooperative society or fisherman person. In the case of the irrigation reservoir, instead of a four-hectare, a two-hectare water area will be allotted on the basis of per member or per person.
Till now, the audit of the committees constituted for fisheries was done only by the Cooperative Department. Now, under the revised new fisheries policy, the responsibility of joint team audit has been given to the cooperative and fisheries department. Under the three-tier panchayat system, the gram panchayat will have the right to allot ponds and irrigation reservoirs of zero to 10 hectares of average water area on lease for 10 years.
Likewise, Janpad Panchayat will have the authority to allot over 10 hectares to 100 hectares and District Panchayat over 100 hectares to 200 hectares average water area. The fisheries department will have the authority to lease over 200 hectares to 1000 hectares of average water area in reservoirs, barrage to fishermen groups and fishery co-operative societies. But the water area under the authority of urban bodies will be allotted by the urban body concerned on lease for 10 years, the release said.