Report and Pics by Hemanat Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RD/SP)
 
Udupi, Jan 7: An information meet of the fisheries department  to various fisheries co-operative societies and interaction  programme was held at the taluk panchayat auditorium here, on the morning of Wednesday January 7, jointly  by the zilla panchayat and the fisheries department.
 
Zilla panchayat president Raju Poojary inaugurated the programme on Wednesday morning.  Speaking on the occasion, he expressed dissatisfaction over the fact  that the fisheries departmental programmes are not reaching a large chunk  of the fisheries community.  Hence, by organizing departmental information meets very often, the department can make efforts to ensure that the  facilities being offered through the department are utilized to the optimum level, he suggested. 
 

Fisheries co-operative societies can  be rejuvenated if these departmental programmes are held through them.  The out board engine subsidy to the country boat fishermen was awarded to the owners of 30 fisheries boats during 2007 – 08 while there are plans to award the same to around 100 owners of fisheries boats in 2008 - 09.  Meanwhile, owing to the lack of information on the facilities being offered by the  department, considerable amount of funds go unutilized, he stressed.
 
Kaup MLA Lalaji R Mendon, taluk panchayat president Geeta G Prabhu, vice president Bhagyalaxmi, Fisheries Marketing Federation president Gangadhar Suvarna and SCDCC Bank manager Mohandas Kamat were present at the dais. 
 
Harish Kumar compered the programme.