PANJIM: While claiming that Goans were not getting fish at reasonable rates even though Rs 108 crore worth subsidies were being given to fishermen and trawler owners, Fisheries Minister Vinod Palyekar on Tuesday has decided to review the subsidies allotted in the last five years.
The decision to conduct a review of subsidies given to fishermen and trawler owners was taken at a special meeting held at the Secretariat along with the department officials.
“Of the Rs 108 crore subsidies Rs 83 cr is being given to trawlers in the state, but major fish catch is being sent outside Goa. This will not be tolerated. Government will cut down on subsidy which is being given to trawlers. We can divert the subsidy to government fisheries corporation and the fisheries department has begun the process to form Fisheries Corporation,” said Palyekar while speaking to reporters
“We want to give subsidised fish to Goans. Rs 108 crore are being spent on giving subsidy to fishermen and trawler owners on diesel, petrol VAT and other small things but Goans are not getting fish at reasonable rates. We want to review whether this subsidy benefited back to Goan people because even after such huge subsidies we don’t find enough fish and good price on fish in retail market, rather fish is exported outside” he said.
He further said that the Fisheries Corporation will be formed in the next one year with the aim of giving subsidised fish to people on a similar basis same like the vegetable horticulture outlets.
“If Goans are not getting enough and affordable rate on fish then we can decide to divert this subsidy money to Fisheries Corporation which will be formed in the next one year in a bid to give subsided fish to people. The businessmen involved in fishing business have to think about Goa first,” Palyekar added.
Meanwhile, it was also revealed that the Fisheries Department spends almost Rs 21.17 crore on financial assistance for fuel while Rs 61.30 crore on financial assistance on Goa Value Added Tax (VAT) on monthly basis which amounts to Rs 83 crore annually.
