Minister inaugurates development works at two fishing harbours

The Keralam government is prioritising infrastructure development in the fisheries sector, Fisheries Minister V.E. Abdul Gafoor said. Inaugurating the works completed at the Puthiyappa fishing harbour under a development project implemented with the participation of the Central and State governments on Friday (October 23), the Minister said coastal development was a key priority of the government.

“The government will continue to implement schemes aimed at improving the living standards of fishers and ensuring their financial security. Housing schemes and insurance coverage will be provided for fishers,” Mr. Gafoor said.

He said technical issues related to fishers’ pensions would be resolved. The deadline for updating information required to receive pensions had been extended. The Minister urged all eligible beneficiaries to make use of the opportunity and update their details without delay.

The development works at the Puthiyappa fishing harbour were completed at a cost of ₹21.7 crore. The project included the construction of auction halls, a concrete parking area, internal roads, drains, locker rooms, a rest house and a toilet block, besides dredging works.

Later in the day, Mr. Gafoor inaugurated the second phase of the Koyilandy fishing harbour project, completed under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), along with the Arayankavu–Koothavally road and adjoining bridges constructed under the coastal road upgradation project.

The second phase of the harbour development project included a 100-metre-long and 7.5-metre-wide finger jetty that will allow fishing boats to berth on both sides, a road to the jetty, rest areas for fishers, a net-mending shed, an administrative building, renovation of the auction hall, modernisation of the fish landing centre, a cold storage unit, a pressurised water system for cleaning, a new parking area adjoining the southern breakwater, and beautification of the harbour.

The works were carried out at a cost of ₹20.90 crore. The project also included dredging works costing ₹5.88 crore.

The Arayankavu–Koothavally road project included a new concrete road connecting Gurukulam beach road in Koyilandy with Kollam beach road, along with two concrete bridges. The project was completed at a cost of ₹1.61 crore.