On Wednesday, Fisheries Minister V.E. Abdul Gafoor announced that the government is drafting a major initiative aimed at the overall upliftment of fishers and the comprehensive development of the fisheries sector. He also revealed that the Fisheries Department will soon introduce its own housing scheme. The remarks followed the inauguration of a newly built multipurpose fisheries centre in the Eravipuram South fishing village, where the minister handed over the keys to a mobile auto‑kiosk, both projects being part of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
During the event, the minister said that steps are underway to revise the insurance scheme for fishers, a long‑standing demand of the community. He added that the transformation of the coastal region remains the government’s primary goal and that the Fisheries Department is designing a range of welfare programmes to realise this vision.
The centre, built at a cost of ₹41.30 lakh and equipped with state‑of‑the‑art facilities, is intended to streamline various services and provide essential training programmes for fishers. Sessions will cover sustainable fishing practices, real‑time weather alerts and sea‑safety guidelines. The initiative falls under the Climate Resilient Coastal Fisherman Village Project of PMMSY, which seeks to strengthen infrastructure in the fisheries sector while enhancing fisher safety, livelihood security, income generation, skill development and environmental protection.
Under the broader project, which has a total outlay of ₹202.45 lakh, several key infrastructure components have already been completed at Eravipuram fishing village. These include marine‑grade solar mini‑mast lights, an emergency rescue boat for sea operations, plastic collection bins, brackish‑water cage farming units, fish‑stock enhancement ranching facilities and portable solar fish dryers.
