Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao announced that Telangana government will set up wholesale fisheries markets in all the district headquarters to avoid the middlemen intervention in purchasing fish from the fishermen. The Minister was responding to Andole MLA P Babu Mohan who said that the the middlemen were raking in moolah by purchasing fish from fishermen at Singur and other places in district. Furthermore, the Minister also wanted to see some of the fish to be sold in local markets instead of exporting the entire fish to Hyderabad. The Minister was addressing the representatives of Fishermen Societies in Sangareddy at an awareness programme organised by Fisheries Department at Collectorate on Sunday. The Minister said Telangana government had allocated Rs 1,050 crore budget to Fisheries Department to spark a Blue Revolution in the State. Congress had made a mere Rs 30 crore budget allocations in a year during their 10 year’s rule neglecting the welfare of fishermen community. With the sole aim of strengthening all communities in the State, Rao said Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had decided to release fingerlings in reservoirs, dams and minor irrigation tanks across the State by spending Rs crores. However, the Minister said they were at the beginning of Blue Revolution in Telangana and the entire fishermen Community would prosper by exporting fish to other States since the government was mulling a host of other initiatives for the benefit of fishermen community. Stating that the erstwhile Medak district alone had got the grant of Rs 70 crore, Rao said individuals, societies or district-level societies could set up fisheries related industries since they were offering up to 100 per cent subsidy to them. Asking the District Fisheries Department officer Sujatha to motivate women from fishermen community to form societies, he said women could obtain loans to create employment for themselves. MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, Collector Vasam Venkateshwarlu, MLA Chintha Prabhakar, Zilla Parishath Chairperson Y Rajamani Murali Yadav, and others were present. Earlier, accompanied by public representatives and district officials, Harish went on inspection on cycle in Zaheerabad town to learn about issues being faced by the public on Sunday morning. He pedaled his way to most of the areas in the town and interacted with people to understand their problems. The Minister also inspected rain hit areas and colonies where water had stagnated. Later, the Minister visited some areas on bike. He had a chat with people over a cup of tea at a roadside tea stall in the town. The Minister said he wanted to reach out to the public. MP BB Patil, Collector Vasam Venkateshwarlu and MLC Fariduddin, and others were present.