Siddipet: Finance Minister T Harish Rao said the State government has permitted fishing in Ranganayaka Sagar and Ananthagiri Sagar, which were built as part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) in Siddipet district.
Talking to officials in Siddipet during a review meeting on Thursday, the Minister said the Fisheries department has been releasing fish into the Ranganayaka Sagar for the last three years, but the government did not accord permission for fishing until now.
Asking Collector Prasanth Jeevan Patil to issue identity cards to 28,000 fishermen in Siddipet district, Rao said the fisheries department has decided to give the fishing rights to private agencies in Ranganayaka Sagar.
The amount will be deposited in the accounts of fishermen’s societies. Rao said the project had a huge
amount of fish because the fish were being released over three consecutive years.
The Minister has suggested the fisheries department conduct elections for fishermen societies in the district very soon.
Earlier, he also reviewed the progress of the Gouravelly reservoir. The Minister suggested the revenue department pay the rehabilitation and resettlement package to those who were getting displaced under the project.
Since the government needs to pay Rs 21 crore towards the rehabilitation package, Rao has asked them to complete the process of war footing.
He also directed them to expedite the works of Gouravelly. Commissioner of Police N Swetha, Irrigation EE Gopalakrishna, Assistant Director (Fisheries) Ramulu and others were present.