Lok Sabha Question No. 2570 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-05
Subject: Primary Fishermen Cooperative Society
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Shri Maddila Gurumoorthy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2570 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 th  August, 2025

## Primary Fishermen Cooperative Society

2570.  Shri Maddila Gurumoorthy:

Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING be  pleased to state:

- a)  whether the Government is aware that the Primary Fishermen Cooperative Societies in non-coastal areas, which manage shared resources such as leased ponds and fishing grounds, are facing livelihood challenges;
- b)  whether  the  Government  has  received  any  complaints  or  representations  regarding interference, mismanagement, or deviation from the scheme guidelines affecting these societies;
- c)  whether there is any central vigilance or monitoring mechanism to ensure that Primary Fishermen Cooperative Societies operate in a fair, transparent, and sustainable manner in accordance with the objectives of the Government schemes;
- d)  if so, the details of such a mechanism and the actions taken in recent cases; and
- e)  whether the Government will consider establishing a robust redressal system and strict compliance monitoring to safeguard the interests of poor fishermen and their cooperatives, particularly in non-coastal and rural areas?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

## (SHRI GEORGE KURIAN)

(a) & (b) The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the ongoing Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana(PMMSY) actively supports for formation of Fisheries Cooperative Societies across the country including those present in noncoastal and rural areas.  The Department of Fisheries has accorded approval for development of existing 2000 fisheries cooperative as Fish Farmers Producers Organisations (FFPOs) and formation  of  new  195  FFPOs.  The  Department  of  Fisheries  through  National  Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) has formulated an action plan to support the formation of 12,000 fisheries co-operatives in uncovered panchayats/villages with large water bodies/coastal areas over a period of ten years from the year 2024-25 to 2033-34 in two phases i.e 6000 from 202425 to 2028-29 & 6000 from 2028-29 to 2033-34. In addition, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi  Saha-Yojana  (PM-MKSSY)  a  sub-scheme  of  PMMSY  envisages  to  support formalisation  and  strengthening  of  5500  primary  fisheries  cooperatives  with  mentoring, capacity building and need based financial support.  Further, the Department has not received any complaints or representation regarding interference, mismanagement, or deviation from the  scheme  guidelines  as  the  cooperative  societies  are  under  the  purview  of  Cooperative Societies  Act  and  the  ownership  of  waterbodies  are  vested  to  respective  State/UTs  and accordingly, the complaints are addressed at State/UTs level.

(c)&(d) The Cooperative societies is a state subject under Entry 32 of the State List of Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. As such, the Cooperatives operating in each State or UTs  are  governed  by  Cooperative  Society  Act  of  that  particular  state  having  monitoring mechanism to ensure fair and transparent means to implement the Government schemes.

(e) To safeguard  the  interests  of  poor  fishermen  and  their  cooperatives  in  the  Country including in non-coastal and rural areas, the Department of Fisheries in collaboration with Ministry of Cooperation periodically conducts review meeting with State/UTs, so as to ensure smooth functioning of cooperative societies and also encourage them to avail support through registering  on  National  Fisheries  Digital  Platform  and  National  Cooperative  Database  of Ministry of Cooperation.

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