Kamareddy: Fisheries scheme fails to deliver goods

Kamareddy: There are many government welfare schemes for the progress of the poor. Unfortunately, these schemes are not reaching the poor but are reportedly siphoned away by some miscreants.

As part of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the State government took up fish ponds' construction to provide employment to labourers and farmers. After the construction of fish ponds, the fisheries department has to release fish seedlings. But this scheme is not being implemented anywhere in Kamareddy district. About 95 fish ponds have been sanctioned to the district and so far only 24 per cent ponds were constructed. Fish seedlings were not released in most of the ponds and no trace of fish in those very few ponds, where fish seedlings were released.

There is variation in the construction cost of the ponds. At some places, it took Rs 5.20 lakh and in other areas, it was from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. About 3,500 fish seedlings has to be released in each pond.

Though the officials are stating that fish seeds were released in ponds in Pitlam, Jukkal and other mandals, there are no fish in these ponds.

The farmers are at a big loss by digging ponds in the agricultural lands as they could not cultivate any crops in these lands anymore. They are lamenting that there is no income from these fish ponds.

On the other hands, the NREGS officials said that till now they have provided work to the labourers and water construction works are giving fruitful results. They assured of completing all the pending works and will take steps to start works in those mandals, where the fish ponds have been sanctioned.

The details of fish ponds sanctioned for the district and their progress -