Kundapur: Govt Turns Back - Prawn Cultivation in State of Predicament

Pics: Aishwarya Beejady
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (PS/SB)
 
Kundapur, Mar 5: One ride on the stretch of Kundapur-Trasi highway and travelers will open up themselves to many square ponds. For all those curious, these ponds are exclusively meant for prawn cultivation. However, the prawn cultivators are going through a rough patch, all thanks to the government, which is playing spoilsport instead of supporting the poor cultivators.

The government had ordered free electricity for prawn cultivation, but its own element Karnataka Electricity Control Board has brushed aside such help. This has depressed the prawn cultivators.
 

Prawn Cultivation 
 
Prawn cultivation has international market. It has good demand from all over, hence the government also passed an order to consider prawn cultivation as a form of ‘agriculture’. It had clearly mentioned about free supply of water and electricity, which is given to agriculture otherwise also.

Chief secretary of state animal husbandary department D V Prasad in his letter to Karnataka electricity control board in 2010 November clearly mentioned that electricity rate should be equally imposed as in the case of other agriculture. Before that, Karnataka Land Reform Act 1961 also considered water agriculture as equal to agriculture. His letter focused that LT -5 (lower tension) rate charged for water agriculture and other related activities are  expensive, and that should be reduced so as to make cultivators bear it. Considering the opportunity, motivation extended by the state government and making the note of private prawn cultivation in 6,000 hectares pond, he had recommended the revision of the electricity rates.
 

Demand Put Off
 
In the light of a letter from animal husbandry department, Karnataka Coast Prawn Cultivators Union also visited Mescom commissioner and demanded reduction of the cost. They also showed the letter written by animal husbandary department. After some days, Mescom commissioner said the letter has been sent to Karnataka Electricity Control Board. But in return, the board replied that due to lack of funds (grant) the ‘revision’ demand cannot be considered now. This in repercussion put prawn cultivators in a dilemma.
 

Two-faceted Rule of Government
 
Even after bringing prawn cultivation under the category of ‘agriculture’, the government has not extended any help or facilities, said Shridhar Hegde, chief secretary of Karnataka coast prawn cultivators’ union.
 
After a series of struggle and demands, prawn cultivation was considered to be agriculture. Other forms of agriculture benefited from all government facilities like loan at three percent interest, free electricity among others. But prawn cultivation does not enjoy any of the benefits. This kind of partiality should not prevail. Those who are involved in prawn cultivation are frustrated with the level of support shown by the government.
 
Prawn cultivation has now grown to a great extent, giving jobs to many hands. In Kundapur taluk alone it is done in 350 acres of pond. More than a 100 people are involved in the occupation. Apart from high electricity rate, they also have the problem of dearth of fingerlings (small fish). Government-initiated fingerlings breeding centres are inactive and the cultivators are forced to borrow it from Chennai and other parts of the state.