Daijiworld Media Network - Byndoor (SP)

Byndoor, Jan 11: State fisheries, ports and inland water transport minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, said that it has been decided to use engines made in India for powering the fishing boats in place of the current Chinese ones in order to fall in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's concepts of self-reliant India and Make in India.

He was speaking with the media persons on Sunday January 10 after visiting Coastal Traditional Fishermen's Cooperative Society's Navunda branch that is set for Monday inaugural.

"A total of 22,500 mechanised fishing boats are functioning in the state's coast. Out of them, 7,500 are traditional boats which have fitted nine HP outboard engines. Bigger boats have different ranges of engines up to 350 HP. Ninety percent of them are China made while the rest are manufactured by Japan and other countries. The fishermen are inclined to use indigenous products. In order to herald a change in the practices, a meeting of Mahendra Kirloskar and others was convened at Vikasa Soudha Bengaluru where these companies agreed to manufacture engines that are high in quality and priced competitively. The officials of Kochi Shipyard have also given favourable response. In order to stop use of kerosene by the boat engines, we have sought gas-based engines. The companies have promised to prepare model engines within three months and arrange exhibition cum demonstration," the minister said.

The minister was honoured on behalf of the society on this occasion.