Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 11 (ANI): Minister of State (MoS) for Fisheries Dr. L Murugan on Tuesday said that after the situation improves in Sri Lanka, a meeting of the Joint Committee comprising representatives of MEA and the Department of Fisheries of both the countries will be held to bring back Indian fishing boats.

Bhopal Mar 28 PTI Union Minister L Murugan has said India was marching ahead under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by feeling proud of its history culture and values Speaking at the concluding function of a film festival here on Sunday night he said under the PM Bharat is finding its voice and the countrys achievements are no longer ignored This is a new India that does not shy away from feeling proud of its history its values culture community bonding and society the Union minister said He said cinema is a very impactful medium and this increased the responsibility of filmmakers manifold adding that the NDA government under PM Modi had worked relentlessly since 2014 to help the film industry in the country to grow and have wider reach PTI LAL BNM BNM BNM

New Delhi, February 11 (ANI) The Rajya Sabha was on Friday adjourned to resume its second part of the Budget Session on March 14 after a recess of one month.

Kochi Nov 22 PTI Fishing harbours in the country will be upgraded to international standards with the aim of increasing the value of fish exports to Rs one lakh crore by 2024-25 Union Fisheries Minister L Murugan said here on Monday The Minister who was in the city visited the Office of Marine Products Export Development Authority MPEDA here and held a meeting with senior officials Union government aims at increasing the value of fish exports to Rs one lakh crore by 2024-25 Fishing harbours in the country including Kochi Chennai Visakhapatnam and Paradeep will be upgraded to international standards As part of this ice plants and processing facilities will be arranged at the Harbour itself minister told the media He said that through the modernisation of ports fishermen will be able to get better prices for their products A detailed project report of the Seaweed Processing Centre to be set up in the Special Economic Zone in Tamil Nadu is being prepared It will ensure employment opportunities and economic empowerment for women in the fisheries sector Minister said He met the MPEDA Chairman and other top officials like K S Srinivas Director M Karthikeyan and Joint Directors Ram Mohan M K and P Anil Kumar MPEDA officials gave a powerpoint presentation on the Organisations milestones in the Marine Products Sector following which the Minister visited the Quality Control and Micro Biology Laboratories and Seafood India Signature Stall at MPEDA Murugan also visited the Accelerated Freeze Drying Company AFDC at Ezhupunna in Alappuzha district AFDC Ezhupunna is one of the few prawn processing-exporting companies in the country with accelerated freeze and drying systems The Minister also held discussions with AFDC Managing Director Abraham J Tharakan and inspected the operation of the seafood processing systems He also visited the Fishing harbour at Thoppumpady in Kochi The Minister was accompanied by Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden and Dr M Beena Chairperson of the Kochi Port Trust PTI RRT APR APR

Hyderabad Oct 24 PTI The standard operating procedures SOPs for extending the benefits of the Kisan Credit Cards KCC to all fishermen were getting ready Union Minister of State L Murugan said here on Sunday Our government is already issuing Kisan Credit Cards to farmers and we are working for extending that facility to fishermen tooevery fisherman will be given the benefit of KCC soon the Union Minister of State for Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying told reporters after reviewing the activities of the National Fisheries Development Board NFDB This KCC facility has to be extended to all fishermen Every fisherman has to get this facility and we are working on that and very soon the fishermen will get the KCC Under Parshottam Rupala jis Union Minister for Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying guidance we are taking it forward he said adding the SOPs are getting ready the proposals are in advance consideration The government has plans to increase export of marine food products and five fishing harbours in the country would be modernised to international-level with facilities for processing units cold storage among other facilities Murugan said adding that the foundation stone would be laid soon for the five fishing harbours He further said a seaweed park would come up in Tamil Nadu and more such parks would be set up across the country It is a new concept and our government is encouraging seaweed cultivation Seaweed culturing is being promoted across the country in a big way and steps are being taken to identify places in the country where such culturing units can be set up he added Seaweed culture and cage aqua culture are the new age techniques that the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana PMMSY is actively promoting for empowerment of fishermen moreso women he said There is a great demand for seaweed which has medicinal properties in India and abroad Seaweed cultivation helps in empowerment of the fishing community especially women he said While encouraging new-age fishing techniques the government is supporting inland fishing and is keen on increasing export of fish through various projects proposed under the PMMSY the Minister said Earlier Murugan virtually launched the Giant Freshwater Prawn Hatchery established at College of Fisheries Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University RPCAU Dholi Bihar under the NFDB-funded project NFDB Chief Executive C Suvarna and other officials also spoke PTI VVK VVK NVG NVG

Hyderabad Oct 24 PTI The standard operating procedures SOPs for extending the benefits under the Kisan Credit Cards KCC to all fishermen were getting ready Union Minister of State L Murugan said here on Sunday Our government is already issuing Kisan Credit Cards to farmers and we are working for extending that facility to fishermen too the Union Minister of State for Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying told reporters after reviewing the activities of the National Fisheries Development Board NFDB This KCC facility has to be extended to all fishermen Every fishermen has to get this facility and we are working on that and very soon the fishermen will get the KCC Under Parshottam Rupala jis Union Minister for Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying guidance we are taking it forward he said adding the SOPs are getting ready The government has plans to increase export of marine food products and five fishing harbours in the country would be modernised to international level with facilities for processing units cold storage among other facilities Murugan said He further said a seaweed park would come up in Tamil Nadu It is a new concept and our government is encouraging seaweed cultivation he added NFDB Chief Executive C Suvarna was among other officials who were present PTI VVK NVG NVG

Bhopal Sep 27 PTI Union minister and BJP leader L Murugan was on Monday declared elected uncontested to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh on the last day of withdrawal of papers as the opposition Congress didnt field a candidate against him for the October 4 bypoll With Murugans expected entry to the Upper House the number of BJP MPs to Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh reached eight A senior official said Murugan was the lone candidate for the bypoll after the deadline for withdrawal of papers expired on Monday following which he was declared elected Murugan has been declared elected to the Upper House of Parliament uncontested from MP After the time for the withdrawal of nomination papers ended today Murugan who remained in the fray won the poll given the ruling party has a clear majority Returning Officer and MP Assembly Secretariat Principal Secretary AP Singh told PTI over the phone Murugan was handed over the victory certificate Singh said The bypoll was scheduled to be held on October 4 but as Murugan was the lone candidate in the contest and after the deadline for withdrawal of papers expired he was declared elected he added The main opposition Congress did not field a candidate The byelection became necessary after then Union minister Thawarchand Gehlot resigned following his appointment as the governor of Karnataka in July this year Murugan who helmed the Tamil Nadu unit of BJP until July before being inducted in the Union cabinet is the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying As per norms he has to become a member of Parliament within six months In the 230-member MP Assembly the ruling BJP has 125 MLAs Congress 95 Bahujan Samaj Party 2 Samajwadi Party 1 and four Independents Three seats are lying vacant Of the total 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh the BJP holds eight including Murugan and Congress three BJP Rajya Sabha MPs from Madhya Pradesh are M J Akbar Jyotiraditya Scindia Dharmendra Pradhan Ajay Pratap Singh Kailash Soni Sumer Singh Solanki Sampatiya Uike and Murugan Digvijaya Singh Vivek Tankha and Rajmani Patel are Rajya Sabha MPs of Congress from Madhya Pradesh On September 18 the BJPs central leadership nominated Murugan as its nominee for the bypoll overlooking many senior leaders The names of BJPs Scheduled Caste Morcha national president Lal Singh Arya was doing rounds for filling the Rajya Sabha vacancy as BJPs Dalit face after Gehlots resignation Names of BJPs West Bengal minder Kailash Vijaywargiya and former Union minister Uma Bharti were also discussed PTI LAL NSK NSK

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], September 21 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan on Tuesday filed his nomination as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the by-election to a vacant Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh.

Chennai Sept 17 PTI The work to develop five major fishing harbours as hubs of economic activity is underway and steps are on to set up a multi-purpose seaweed park in Tamil Nadu for the first time in the country Union Minister of State for Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying L Murugan said on Friday A meeting to take forward the announcements of the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was held and the work would commence soon he said Interacting with fishermen at Kasimedu here Murugan said The five harbours are in Chennai Tamil Nadu Kochi Kerala VisakhapatnamAndhra Pradesh Paradip Odisha and Petuaghat West Bengal The long coastline offers scope for development and along with this the seaweed park the first special economic park in the country to come up in Tamil Nadu will increase the prospects of employment and exports besides enhancing income Murugan said He said the park would be a boon to fisherwomen as it would be implemented through women self-help groups SHGs or society Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen on ensuring development and accordingly he has initiated appropriate measures said Murugan who is also Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting At Tiruvottiyur Kuppam in neighbouring Tiruvallur district where a port is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore with contribution from the Central Fisheries and Fisheries Development Fund FIDF the Minister said the project upon completion would provide 8000 people jobs Inspecting the work at the site today he directed the authorities to expedite the work Also he reviewed the works being carried out on at the other ports in Tharangambadi and Nagapattinam districts of Tamil Nadu The sponge farming programme being undretaken with the assistance from the Central government should be expedited and proper training should be imparted to fishermen he said and enquired with the officials about the status of the works under execution in Tamil Nadu under the Matsaya Sampatha Yojana scheme Jawahar additional secretary Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying Tamil Nadu and Palanichamy director Fisheries Department were present during the review meeting Earlier Murugan launched a drive to clean the Besant Nagar Beach here BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief K Annamalai was also present The drive is a part of the string of events being organied by the BJP to celebrate the 71st birthday of the Prime Minister The beach-cleaning drive was launched as part of Narendra Modis ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Clean India Mission Speaking on the occasion Annamalai said the BJP has chalked out programmes to celebrate the birthday of the Prime Minister as Seva Day for 20 days till October 7 We will reach out to the people and serve them as a honour to Modiji who served as Chief Minister for 13 years and as Prime Minister for seven years His life is about service to people hence the numerous activities for 20 days said Annamalai Later in the evening he inaugurated a touchscreen interactive display at Kamalalayam the BJP State headquarters here In Coimbatore BJP Mahila Morcha national president and Coimbatore South legislator Vanathi Srinivasan launched a programme to distribute monthly free sanitary napkins to about 12000 girls BJP national executive member in-charge of Kerala C P Radhakrishnan hailed Modi as Karma yogi and distributed welfare aids to the needy at Tiruppur JSP NVG NVG