East UP migrants to get support for starting fisheries business
NBFGR experts will provide training to these migrants to farm a variety of freshwater fish and crustaceans like prawns and crabs.
Migrant workers form wastern Uttar Pradesh who returned home during the lockdown will now get a chance to start fisheries business with support from the Lucknow-based National Bureau of Fish Genetics Resources (NBFGR).
The Institute will provide assistance to migrant labourers in 14 districts of UP to which majority of the migrants returned post lockdown. Most of these migrant workers lost their jobs and savings during the lockdown and depend on government aid to make ends meet. A possible employment in the fisheries sector can help them become self-reliant once again.
“The plan is to involve around 3,000 families of migrant workers with the fisheries sector in these districts. We provide training and technological help to these workers. They can use this to set up successful businesses,” said Kuldeep K Lal, director NBFGR.
After poultry, fisheries is the second fastest growing meat industry in the country, according to experts. The migrants can capitalise on the upward trend.
NBFGR experts will provide training to these migrants to farm a variety of freshwater fish and crustaceans like prawns and crabs.
“Easy availability of space and fresh water in the area will make it easier for migrant workers to start their business. We will also take help of the local district administration to provide help in starting the business or taking loans from banks for the same,” said the director.
The districts that will benefit through the initiative include Ballia, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Sultanpur, Mau, Sonbhadra, Gonda, Basti, Jaunpur and Azamgarh etc.
Dharmendra Verma, a migrant worker in Gorakhapur is looking forward to the programme. “Around 50 people in my village have returned from different states. We all are ready to take up fisheries as a business because it will allow us to work without leaving our village,” he said.