Kerala seeks Centre's urgent nod for fishermen’s savings scheme

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 1 Kerala Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian on Monday urged the Central government to immediately grant approval for the implementation of the fishermen's savings-cum-relief scheme in the state.

The Minister pointed out that the Centre’s share of the scheme has not yet been released, leaving the state unable to disburse its own share.

"The delay is directly affecting thousands of fishermen whose livelihoods are already strained during the monsoon and adverse weather," he said.

The scheme is designed to support fishermen during lean seasons while encouraging savings habits.

Under it, each beneficiary contributes Rs 1,500 per month.

Both the Centre and the State add a matching Rs 1,500 each, making a total monthly benefit of Rs 4,500.

This amount is disbursed during the non-fishing months, May, June, and July for marine fishermen, and July, August, and September for inland fishermen.

For the year 2025–26, as many as 1,49,755 fishermen are enrolled in the scheme, including 1,35,625 from marine areas and 14,130 from inland waters.

Beneficiaries have already contributed Rs 20.95 crore, which has been returned to them in the first instalment.

The state government is prepared to release its share.

However, as per the guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), funds can only be disbursed once central approval and allocation are processed through the Sparsh software.

If the state proceeds without central clearance, there is uncertainty whether the Centre’s share will be reimbursed later.

The Kerala Government had submitted a proposal for administrative sanction on June 21, and followed it up with another communication on August 6.

Despite these efforts, approval has not been forthcoming.

Highlighting the acute crisis caused by the ongoing monsoon and turbulent sea conditions, the minister appealed to the Centre to urgently sanction administrative clearance and release its share.

"Timely support is crucial to protect the livelihoods of our fishermen who are facing severe income loss," said Cherian.

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