Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a state-of-the-art hygienic wholesale fish market at Bahrda (Basta), Balasore in virtual mode Friday. Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation of various fisheries projects worth Rs 1200 crore under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana and Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund.
He also launched the rollout of vessel communication and support system worth Rs 364 crore Friday at Palghar, Maharastra. Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of State Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying SP Singh Baghel and George Kurian, and Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur were present in the programme.
Attending a function organised at Bahrda, Fisheries and ARD Minister Gokulananda Mallik said, “The wholesale fish market will facilitate trading of marine, brackish and inland fish in a single window to promote export potential.” Describing it a unique flagship project in the state, Mallik noted, “Odisha is the 4th largest fish producing state having 7.07 lakh inland and 4.81 lakh brackish water areas. The project with an estimated cost of 78.25 crore will be completed within June 2026.” The fish market, under centrally sponsored scheme of PMMSY will have facilities of laboratory, vendor shops, rest and packing room, loading and unloading bay, blast room, chiller plant, security barrack, parking, solar and power system and fire safety arrangement.
The market stretching 20 acres of land will be of 2500 MT capacity. Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Balasore MLA Manas Kumar Dutta, Basta MLA Subasini Jena, Balasore District Magistrate Suryawanshi Mayur Vikas, and state Fisheries department director Md Saddique Alam, were also present in the programme