Port Blair, Sept. 28: The three days training programme on ‘Fish Value Addition’ organized by Department of Fisheries in association with Dr. B R Ambedkar Institute of Technology (DBRAIT), Dollygunj concluded yesterday at AV Hall, DBRAIT, Dollygunj. Ms. Veditha Reddy, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman was the chief guest during the valedictory session. Speaking on the occasion, she expressed her happiness on the participation of young educated youth in the programme organised exclusively for the women beneficiaries for women empowerment and entrepreneurship development in the field of seafood value addition.  She urged the participants to utilise the training for creating their own business enterprises. She congratulated Department of Fisheries and Hotel Management Department, DBRAIT for conducting such unique trainings in utilizing the fisheries potential and tourism opportunities of the Islands. She urged the young educated trainees to plan business models based on the experience earned in the training for making various products from fish and shell fishes. 

Shri Vikram Singh, Director of Fisheries in his address motivated the participants for becoming 25 independent business women and to create mobile sea food vans/seafood kiosk and value added unit by availing financial assistance under PMMSY. The Department of Fisheries is providing subsidy assistance @60 % for Women applicants and 40% for General category for commencing these activities in addition to the working capital loan under Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme.

The trainees shared their experience and feedback during the programme and expressed their gratitude in imparting detailed theoretical and practical training programme to help them for thinking of creating own business in the form, of Dry Fish Unit, Fish Pickling Unit, Coated Fish Product Units, Frozen/Chilled Fish Units etc. The certificate of participation was also distributed to the trainees by the Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman during the event. Dr. Utpal Sharma, Principal, DBRAIT, Shri. S.U Maheswar Rao, Governing body Member of NFDB also attended the event. The programme concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Dr. K Gopal, Joint Director (Fisheries).