In a pro-fishermen initiative, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa today announced a proposal to set up 13 fish processing parks in the coastal districts to ensure more exports and income to the fishing community.

The parks would be set up under public-private partnership mode and help in increased exports of processed fish and foreign exchange yield besides netting more income to the fishermen, an official release said here today.

As a first step, Jayalalithaa alloted Rs 37 crore for setting up two parks under a pilot project in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts.

The initiative was being taken as the present system of exposure of fish and other marine products to unhygienic environment resulted in losses to the fishermen, it added.

Training to rural youth

Jayalalithaa also ordered imparting training to 300 rural youth in operation and maintenance of farm equipment and machineries as part of her government’s efforts to promote mechanisation in agriculture.

She sanctioned Rs 42.90 lakh for training 50 rural youth each in the depots of agricultural engineering departments in Coimbatore, Madurai, Vellore, Tiruchirapalli, Tiruvarur and Tirunelveli.

Farmers were hesitant to use machineries and equipment, made available to them on a rental basis, due to lack of skills in operating and maintaining them, it said.

Irrigation projects

The Chief Minister also ordered expansion of irrigation projects at a cost of Rs 99.3 crore in Villupuram, Cuddalore and Tiruvannamalai districts which would benefit 36,300 hectares.

She sanctioned Rs 21.19 crore for the first phase which would cover 10,400 hectare in the districts, the release said.

Accordingly, the irrigation facilities in Manimuktha water scheme, Pilandhurai and Ellis Anicut system in the three districts would be extended till 2015-16.

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