Surat Fish Market Naming Plan After PM Modi Faces Opposition From Traders

A plan to name a wholesale fish market in Surat after Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced opposition from some fish dealers.

The market was opened on Monday by the Surat Fish Merchant Association under the name “Shree Narendra Modi Wholesale Fish Market,” with a banner featuring an image of the Prime Minister. On Tuesday, the banner was covered with a white sheet following opposition from some association members, according to sources.

Market Gets PM Matsya Sampada Yojana Funding

This is the first wholesale fish market run by the municipal corporation in the city, with space for 80 shops, and was constructed with funding from the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

Kalpesh Navsariwala, president of the Fish Merchant Association, said, 

“This market was built with funds from Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, and the Prime Minister promotes fisheries under the Blue Revolution. It only gives us pride to name the market after him.” 

He added that he had consulted the association’s members before proposing the name.

The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana aims to promote India's fishing industry sustainably and responsibly as part of the “Blue Revolution.”

Fish Market Built With Centre, State Funding

Developing “modern wholesale fish markets including supermarkets, retail fish markets and outlets, mobile fish and live fish markets so as to ensure quality and hygienic fish to the consumers” is one of the scheme's objectives.

The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying's Department of Fisheries is responsible for implementing the programme, which had an estimated outlay of Rs 20,050 crore over five years from 2020–21.

The Surat fish market was funded with Rs 1.5 crore from the municipal administration and Rs 3 crore each from the Gujarat government and the Centre.

Modi Naming Proposal Sent To Cultural Committee

A few days before the inauguration, the association sent a request to the civic body proposing that the market be named after Prime Minister Modi, according to Rajesh Ganjawala, executive engineer of the Surat Municipal Corporation. The proposal has been sent to the cultural committee. Further action will be taken depending on the committee's decision.

The cultural committee is one of several panels whose recommendations must be approved by the standing committee before being sent to the general board, the highest decision-making body of the municipal corporation.