Gift of ‘Poila Baisakh’: Fisheries dept launches subsidized fish selling counters for Hilsa

On the eve of ‘Poila Baishak’, the Bengali New Year, the Fisheries department of the state government has started selling of subsidized rate fish, specially the main course of Poila Baisakh menu , the king of fish Hilsa, widely known as Ilish.

Considering the  skyrocketing prices of the fish, which has been  kept it beyond the reach of commoners, the Apex Society of the Fisheries department on Friday launched 15 fish selling counters across the state with subsidized rates and such a counter at MG Bazar area of Agartala was inaugurated by the Fisheries Minister Sudhanshu Das in presence other officials.

After inauguration of the counter, the Minister speaking with media persons said that in order to solve the problem and make the fish available at an affordable rate, the Fisheries Department has taken the initiative to ration the fish through a state-owned cooperative body in 15 counters across the state on the occasion of Poila Baishak.

He said that the subsidized fish counters will sell the Hilsa fish that weigh above 1 kilogram for Rs 1,070. For fish that weigh between 800 grams to 1 kg, the price is Rs 870 per kg and the lowest size, which is above 500 grams, is available for Rs 770 per kg. The difference between the prices in special counters and the normal market is above Rs 500 as markets of capital city sale Hisla in between ranges from Rs. 1500 to Rs.2300.

He said that all Bengalis love the Hilsa and specially on the celebration of Poila Baishak , it’s a main course in every dish of food lover Bengali,  but during the past few years due to high prices of Hilsa, it has been inaccessible to many people.

With this concept, the Tripura Apex Fisheries Cooperative society limited opened the subsidized fish selling counters at Maharajganj Bazar in Agartala, where a total of three such counters will start selling of Hilsa fishes in the morning of Bengali New year. A total of 15 such counters have opened in different parts of the state where this particular fish will be available at subsidized prices, said Das.

It may be recalled here that, neighbouring Bangladesh has put restrictions on the import of Hilsa fish, which is the main reason for high prices of the fish in the markets of state.

Though, Bangladesh on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami of Durga Puja, allows Hilsa-laden cargoes to enter Tripura directly as a token of love. Last year 2000 kilograms of Hilsa was sent to Tripura during Durga Puja. However, on Bengali New Year, Tripura now depends on stored Hilsa fish, which are brought from Kolkata.