TG to get 33 cold storage units for fishermen, announces Vakiti

Mahabubnagar: Fisheries Minister Vakiti Srihari announced that the government will set up 33 cold storage units across all districts to help fishermen preserve their catch and improve their incomes. “The initiative aims to strengthen the post-harvest infrastructure and ensure that the fishing community benefits from better market access and reduced wastage,” said the minister.

He made this announcement while launching a fish-lings releasing programme on Saturday near Hema Samudram lake in Ibrahimabad village of Hanwada mandal, under the Mahabubnagar Assembly constituency. The event, organised by the Fisheries Department, saw participation from local fishermen and Congress leaders.

Joining the event as a special guest, Mahabubnagar MLA Yennam Srinivas Reddy accompanied Srihari in releasing fish.

Addressing the gathering, Vakiti said the government is implementing a statewide fish and prawn stocking programme worth over Rs 117 crore, including fish worth Rs 94 crore and prawns worth Rs 23 crore, to be released into lakes and ponds situated between the Godavari and Krishna rivers.

He said that the initiative will enhance fish population in the state’s water bodies while improving the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen.

“The government is determined to modernise the fisheries sector by creating better infrastructure, including cold storage facilities in every district,” he said, adding that these efforts reflect Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s commitment to rural development and economic self-reliance.

Earlier, Yennam lauded the minister’s leadership and said Vakiti, who rose from being a village sarpanch to a cabinet minister, truly understands the needs of the common people. He urged the minister to establish a cold storage point at Ibrahimabad, noting that the absence of such facilities has long been a major challenge for local fishermen.

The MLA also called upon the people to stand behind the Congress government, saying it has rolled out multiple welfare schemes aimed at uplifting fishermen and other weaker sections.