SRINAGAR, AUGUST 16: Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Law and Justice, Abdul Haq today said his department will develop 1885 fish ponds this year in convergence with Fisheries department by utilizing MGNREGA funds with an aim to provide job avenues to unemployed youths of the state.

The Minister said this after convening a meeting with Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries, Abdul Ghani Kohli.

Ministers of State, Zahoor Ahmad Mir and Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi were also present in the meeting.

The meeting was also attended by Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Director, Animal Husbandry Department and Director Rural Development Department, Kashmir.

Abdul Haq said there is a huge potential of fish farming in the state and the same can be utilized for generating job opportunities by construction of fish ponds. He said the department will go for convergence of funds under MGNREGA with Department of Fisheries to construct fish ponds wherein the youths have to contribute only 10 percent of the total cost.

The Minister said the aim of MGNREGA is to provide employment to the unemployed youths besides creating community assets in the villages and that creation of fish ponds will serve both purposes. He said convergence will also help this high-return industry to get a boost with the help of MGNREGA besides providing job opportunity to the local youths.

“Let the Fisheries Department come up with plan for construction of fish ponds, we will provide labor budget under MGNREGA for the same,” he said.

Giving details, the Minister said 930 ponds will be constructed in Kashmir while 955 will be constructed in Jammu division.

He said there is huge demand of fish in the market but the supply is low and unemployed youths can contribute in production besides providing job opportunity for themselves and for other people too.