Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Talasani Srinivas Yadav said here on Wednesday that people the world over would relish the fish from Telangana very soon. Addressing members of the fishermen cooperative societies from all over the State at People’s Plaza here after distributing 885 two-wheelers, 12 trolley autos, kiosks and fishing equipment, he said that the government was going all out to promote fish exports to countries with huge demand for aqua products. The Aqua Expo organised in Hyderabad is intended to promote the market for fisheries abroad. The State government had launched the Integrated Fisheries Development Programme with an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore for the benefit of all communities that have fishing as their traditional occupation. The programme would herald a new phase in the development of fisheries in the State. The fisheries development in undivided Andhra Pradesh meant literally the development of fisheries in coastal districts of East and West Godavari. As if there were no water resources in Telangana to develop fisheries, the allocation to the region was meagre. The Chief Minister, who had realised the importance of fisheries as a potential source for adding to the incomes of the fishermen community, had given top priority to the sector. Fish seedlings were being given free of cost and every water resource was being utilised for pisciculture, he said. The Minister said that the Chief Minister, who was firm on the socio-economic development of the Gangaputras, was keen on spending any amount to realise this goal. There will be larger representation for the fishermen communities in the legislative bodies as well. He said the Fisheries Department had been providing modern kiosks enabling fishermen to sell fish in a hygienic environment. The government has big plans for the construction of fish markets with modern facilities at the mandal and district levels. The Mission Kakatiya programme, which helped revive a majority of the 46,000 minor irrigation sources in the State, came in handy for fisheries development. Once the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project starts serving its ayacut in December next, the fishermen community would be its major beneficiary. Once the other major projects including Sitarama and Palamuru Ranga Reddy were ready, there would be water all year round in the irrigation sources facilitating phenomenal growth in fisheries. The Minister informed that in addition to the fisheries college set up in Wanaparthy, one more fisheries college would start functioning from the next academic year at Manair project. A total of 62,000 mopeds were being distributed along with other equipment needed for fishing and marketing under the Integrated Fisheries Development Programme. He said that the Chief Minister has posted hard working officials in the Fisheries Department, and appealed to the fishermen to work with commitment and unity for their own development. Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali and Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya also participated in the programme.