Chitrakonda: The state government is relentlessly trying to bring the Swabhiman Anchal (earlier cut-off area) of Malkangiri district on the development map and provide livelihood opportunities to people, a report said.
As part of this initiative, the district administration released over 225,000 fish fingerlings in Balimela reservoir here, Wednesday.
District Collector Vishal Singh, Chitrakonda MLA Purnachandra Baka and district fisheries officer Rajendra Kumar Patra released the fingerlings at the Chitrakonda spillway lunch ghat.
The move is part of a socio-economic transformation and upliftment (SETU) programme envisaged by the state government after the inauguration of 910-meter long bridge on the Gurupriya river.
The fingerlings have been supplied by OPDC farm at Bhanjanagar, Baya Sagar farm, Kalahandi, government hatcheries at Binka, Sambalpur, Jeypore and Malkangiri.
The Collector and MLA gave away life jackets and fishing nets worth Rs 20,000 to over 2,000 families residing in the Swabhiman Anchal. The distribution of life jackets and fishing nets will benefit over 2,000 families and strengthen the tribal economy in the region, the Collector said.
Sources said fishing is the primary occupation for most of the residents in the area which was once cut off from the mainland due to absence of livelihood opportunities.
The residents risk their lives while catching fish from the reservoir. Some of them often drown due to lack of safety kits and proper boats. The state government decided to provide life jackets and safety kits to the fishermen.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced a Rs 100-crore package for the Swabhiman Anchal while inaugurating the Gurupriya bridge. Over Rs 20 crore from this package is being spent on livelihood augmentation of the fishermen.
Last year, over 70 lakh fish fingerlings were released on various river ghats of Janbai, Muktamba, Maliguda, Karlamal, Gurupriya, Chitrakonda reservoir dyke No-1, Pipalpadar and Kenduguda. Meanwhile, six fishermen cooperative societies have been formed in the area.
There is a plan to induct over 2,000 fishermen as members from the Swabhiman Anchal.
Some of the cooperative societies are Maa Durga Primary Fishermen’s Cooperative Society (spillway), Gurupriya Primary Fishermen’s Cooperative Society and Sudangeswar Primary Fishermen’s Cooperative Society.
Deputy fisheries officer Surendra Sekhar Achari, cooperative inspectors Sangram Keshari Biswal and Kailash Chandra Patra conducted the programme.
PNN