Varanasi, Jun 4 (IANS): Chandauli district in eastern Uttar Pradesh will soon have Asia's largest fish market, the construction of which will be completed by July next year.

Sanjay Nishad, Uttar Pradesh minister for fisheries, said that with the construction of the state-of-the-art wholesale fish market in Chandauli, about 1,500 people will get direct and indirect employment opportunities.

The minister said that around 75,000 metric tonnes of fish will be traded annually if the fish market is operated at full capacity.

The Modi government's tenure has been dedicated to good governance and welfare of the poor, the minister said. Many important steps have been taken for the all-round welfare of the fishermen community under the current dispensation, he added.

He also said the fisheries made a significant contribution to India's GDP growth rate.

"The fishermen's welfare fund will be used for the community. Previous governments considered the fishermen community a vote bank but did not work for their welfare," he said.

The minister who heads the Nishad party, an ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, also said that the installation of a 56-feet statue of Lord Ram and Nishad Raj in Prayagraj would be done soon.

The decision to install a statue each of Nishad Raj in Ayodhya on the banks of Sarayu and at Telianala Ghat on the Ganga banks in Varanasi was also a matter of pride for the Nishad community, he said.