Principal secretary for Law & Justice, Fisheries & Aquatic Resources, Y. Kikheto Sema, has urged the Union government to revise funding norms under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), citing outdated cost estimates.
Kikheto made this appeal at the Fisheries Secretaries Conference 2025 and the National Workshop on Harnessing Technology and Innovation in Aquaculture in New Delhi on May 23.
He informed that while PMMSY provides Rs. 8.40 lakh per hectare for fisheries projects, the latest NPWD Schedule of Rates pegs costs at Rs. 25 lakh per hectare, making current funding inadequate.
Recognizing the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters like landslides and floods, he called for the reintroduction of provisions to renovate and reclaim old ponds and water bodies.
These provisions, previously included in earlier schemes, are now absent from the current PMMSY framework. He advocated for an integrated cluster approach to boost productivity, marketability, and promote Agro-Aqua-Eco-Tourism in rural areas.
A critical issue raised was the funding pattern, currently set at 60:40 (Central: State), which he places a heavy financial burden on small and marginal fish farmers. He proposed a 90:10 or 80:20 model, similar to those used for other schemes in Northeast and hilly states.
Kikheto also sought modern fish market infrastructure in Dimapur, citing the unorganized and unhygienic condition of current markets. He appealed for better financial support, urging banks and institutions to actively assist farmers, entrepreneurs, and cooperatives under PMMSY, addressing their hesitation in funding fishery-based ventures. Union secretary for Fisheries, MoFAH&D, Dr. Abhilash Likhi, assured that the concerns raised would be considered in the upcoming PMMSY guidelines.
Kikheto was accompanied by Neitho-o Kuotsu, joint director, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Nagaland.
Nagaland seeks reforms in PMMSY
