New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has given the green light to the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana, a Central Sector sub-scheme aimed at bolstering the fisheries sector under the broader Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada initiative. Addressing the press briefing in New Delhi, Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur revealed that a total of Rs. 6,000 crore has been allocated for the scheme over the next four years. Of this, Rs. 3,000 crore will be sourced from public financing, including contributions from the World Bank and the AFD, while the remaining 50 percent will be contributed by beneficiaries from the private sector. The scheme’s objectives include formalizing the fisheries sector and improving access to institutional credit. Thakur highlighted that the initiative is expected to support 6.4 lakh micro-enterprises and 5,500 fisheries cooperatives, providing them access to institutional credit.
Additionally, the sub-scheme aims to establish a National Fisheries Digital Platform to provide work-based identities to 40 lakh small and micro-enterprises. It will be implemented across all states and union territories for a period of four years, from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27.
Furthermore, the Cabinet has extended the Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) for another three years, up to 2025-26, with a total fund size of Rs. 7,522.48 crore and budgetary support of Rs. 939.48 crore. This extension aims to address the infrastructure requirements of the fisheries sector and encourage investments from both public and private sectors.
In another significant development, the Cabinet has approved the Department of Telecommunications’ proposal to conduct a spectrum auction, facilitating the assignment of spectrum to successful bidders for telecom services. The auction will cover spectrum in various frequency bands, including 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz. The assigned spectrum will have a validity period of 20 years, with a valuation of Rs. 96,317.65 crore.
Moreover, the Cabinet has sanctioned spectrum requirements for rail-based urban regional transit systems, such as NCRTC, in the 700 MHz band for Automatic Train Protection systems and operations.