Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, George Kurian has said that, country’s fish production rose to 184 lakh tonne from 95 lakh tonne under the NDA government in the past ten years. The Minister was speaking after inaugurating several projects under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in Puducherry today.

Mr Kurian announced that transponders will be installed in 2,300 fishing boats in Puducherry under the scheme. These transponders will enable fishers to communicate with their families, seek emergency medical assistance, receive alerts when crossing international maritime boundaries, and get real-time information on fish availability.

The Minister also highlighted the Centre’s substantial financial commitment to the fisheries sector, including 3,000 crore rupees under the Blue Revolution. He added that fishermen can now avail up to 5 lakh rupees in credit under the Kisan Credit Card scheme.

Puducherry Lt. Governor K. Kailashnathan, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, Legislative Assembly Speaker R. Selvam, Ministers, and MLAs also attended the event.