News Analysis India

Tag: Parshottam Rupala

  • Bill to decriminalise offences in coastal aquaculture activities passed in Parliament 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Parliament on Wednesday passed the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which aims to decriminalise the offences committed in carrying out coastal aquaculture activities and ensure ease of doing business.

    The bill was cleared by the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote on Wednesday. It was passed in the Lok Sabha on August 7.

    Replying to a debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha, Parshottam Rupala, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, said that India has benefitted from the Green Revolution and the White Revolution.

    “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India will have a Blue Revolution which will take the fishermen community ahead,” Rupala said.

    The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill seeks to expand its scope, remove regulatory gaps and reduce the compliance burden without diluting environmental protection rules in the coastal areas.

    It removes provision of imprisonment for a period of up to three years and imposes only a penalty in line with the principle of decriminalising civil transgressions.

    It also seeks to fine-tune the operational procedures of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority to make it more responsive to the needs of the stakeholders, promote newer forms of environment-friendly coastal aquaculture like cage culture and seaweed culture, and usher in global best practices in this sector, including mapping and zonation of aquaculture areas, quality assurance and safe aquaculture products.

    The bill aims to encourage the establishment of facilities in areas having direct access to seawater to produce genetically improved and disease-free broodstocks and seed for use in coastal aquaculture, besides preventing the use of antibiotics and pharmacologically active substances, which are harmful to human health in coastal aquaculture.

    The amendment bill provides for broad-basing “coastal aquaculture” to comprehensively cover all activities of coastal aquaculture under its purview.

    It removes ambiguity in the principal Act between farm and other verticals of coastal aquaculture.

    Many of administrative matters which were ambiguous have been suitably resolved under the bill for administrative efficiency and accountability.

    The bill provides that the registration granted under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act shall prevail and be treated as valid permission under CRZ notification with the intention of enabling lakhs of small marginal aquaculture farmers to avoid the possible need for obtaining CRZ clearances from multiple agencies.

    NEW DELHI: Parliament on Wednesday passed the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which aims to decriminalise the offences committed in carrying out coastal aquaculture activities and ensure ease of doing business.

    The bill was cleared by the Rajya Sabha by a voice vote on Wednesday. It was passed in the Lok Sabha on August 7.

    Replying to a debate on the bill in Rajya Sabha, Parshottam Rupala, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, said that India has benefitted from the Green Revolution and the White Revolution.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India will have a Blue Revolution which will take the fishermen community ahead,” Rupala said.

    The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill seeks to expand its scope, remove regulatory gaps and reduce the compliance burden without diluting environmental protection rules in the coastal areas.

    It removes provision of imprisonment for a period of up to three years and imposes only a penalty in line with the principle of decriminalising civil transgressions.

    It also seeks to fine-tune the operational procedures of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority to make it more responsive to the needs of the stakeholders, promote newer forms of environment-friendly coastal aquaculture like cage culture and seaweed culture, and usher in global best practices in this sector, including mapping and zonation of aquaculture areas, quality assurance and safe aquaculture products.

    The bill aims to encourage the establishment of facilities in areas having direct access to seawater to produce genetically improved and disease-free broodstocks and seed for use in coastal aquaculture, besides preventing the use of antibiotics and pharmacologically active substances, which are harmful to human health in coastal aquaculture.

    The amendment bill provides for broad-basing “coastal aquaculture” to comprehensively cover all activities of coastal aquaculture under its purview.

    It removes ambiguity in the principal Act between farm and other verticals of coastal aquaculture.

    Many of administrative matters which were ambiguous have been suitably resolved under the bill for administrative efficiency and accountability.

    The bill provides that the registration granted under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act shall prevail and be treated as valid permission under CRZ notification with the intention of enabling lakhs of small marginal aquaculture farmers to avoid the possible need for obtaining CRZ clearances from multiple agencies.

  • Centre sets target of Rs 1 lakh crore export from fisheries sector by 2024-25

    By Express News Service

    BHUBANESWAR: Fisheries sector has tremendous potential for growth and the Centre has set the target to achieve Rs 1 lakh crore export from the sector by 2024-25, said Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala here on Sunday.

    Addressing the World Fisheries Day Celebration, Rupala said states need to be inspired by each other and explore options to grow in the marine sector. “There is a need to come up with environment-friendly fishing and look for sustaining the sector while continuing the consumption,” he said.

    Rupala called for greater awareness of Kisan Credit Card (KCC). “The Ministry has already extended the support of KCC to the fishermen and women. The government will soon start a massive campaign to intensify awareness on KCC,” he said.

    Taking part in the national level celebration, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying L Murugan said the potential of the sector has been realised in a short span of time of the separate ministry for fisheries and the country has set the ambitious target of achieving the one lakh crore export from the sector.

    “The government is implementing Matsya Sampada Yojana and has infused Rs 20,000 crore in the sector. Seaweed farming is another part where the government is putting more emphasis on. We are also focusing on empowering fisherwomen and promoting entrepreneurship in the sector,” said Murugan adding Paradip is among the five major ports being developed as major fishing harbours.

    Balasore district was awarded as the Best Marine District in the country in this occasion. Andhra Pradesh was awarded the Best Marine State while Best Inland State Award was given to Telangana.

    Odisha is the fourth largest fish-producing state in the country with 8.73 lakh metric tonne of fish produced during 2020-21 contributing to 2.33 percent (pc) of the state economy. Over last five years, fisheries sector has grown at an average annual growth rate of about 13 pc in the State.

    Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh received the Best Inland District award and Best Hilly and Northeastern State and District awards were presented to Tripura and Bongaigaon in Assam respectively.

    The ministers and delegates visited the exhibition stalls put up by the farmers and entrepreneurs at the venue. Various posters, jingles on fisheries sector were also released during the event. The programme was also attended by senior officials of Government of India and Government of Odisha.

  • Like hostel, campus should have a large centre for cows, Union minister advises central university

    By PTI

    SAGAR: A large shelter for cows should be established on campus “on the lines of” students’ hostel, Union minister Parshottam Rupala told a central university here on Friday.

    Traditionally, cattle are a measure of prosperity, the minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said at a function at Dr. Hari Singh Gour Central University here.

    “As per our country’s tradition, prosperity is measured in cattle. It is traditional wealth which can naturally take us to all-round prosperity,” he said.

    “The university should consider establishing a large center for sheltering cows on the lines of students’ hostel,” Rupala said.

    His ministry will help for such a project, he added.

    He lauded the varsity for setting up a `Kamdhenu Adhyayan and Shodh Peeth’, and signed an MoU with it on behalf of his ministry to establish a `Kamdhenu Adhyayan and Anusandhan Kendra’, a research centre for cow-related studies.

    “Indian cows have a lot of potential and there is a need to understand it. Unfortunately people have now forgotten their importance,” he said.

    The function was also addressed by the university’s vice-chancellor Prof Neelima Gupta who said the establishment of the Kamdhenu Peeth reflected the “Vocal for Local” initiative.

  • Union ministers Mansukh Mandaviya, Parshottam Rupala begin ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in Gujarat

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Union ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala embarked on a ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in Gujarat on Thursday as part of the ruling BJP’s exercise to establish a dialogue with the common people and thank them for supporting the party in elections.

    Last week, the Gujarat BJP announced that five newly-inducted Union ministers from Gujarat, including Mandaviya and Rupala, will tour various parts of their home state from August 16 to 21. Rajya Sabha member and Union Health Minister Mandaviya started a vehicle rally on Thursday morning from Rajkot after addressing party workers at a hall in the city.

    The minister’s tour will end at his native place Bhavnagar on August 21 after covering several parts of Junagadh, Amreli and Botad.

    Another Rajya Sabha member and Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, commenced his journey from Unjha town in Mehsana district on Thursday after visiting the famous Umiya Mataji temple in Unjha.

    His cavalcade would cover parts of Morbi and Rajkot districts before culminating at his native place Amreli in Saurashtra region on August 21, said a release by the state BJP.

    Earlier, three other Union ministers from Gujarat – Mahendra Munjapara, Devusinh Chauhan and Darshana Jardosh – carried out their tours in the state over the last three days. Apart from thanking people for electing the BJP in elections held in the recent past, the yatras are also an exercise to establish a dialogue with people, the party release said.

    The BJP won by-elections to eight Gujarat Assembly seats held last year as well as polls to six municipal corporations and various other local bodies in the state earlier this year. The Gujarat Assembly elections are due in December next year.

  • Parshottam Rupala, Mansukh Mandaviya, Darshana Jardosh made Union Ministers

    By PTI
    AHMEDABAD: Influential Patel community leader Parshottam Rupala, minister in the first Narendra Modi government Mansukh Mandaviya and three-time MP Darshana Jardosh, all from Gujarat, were among those inducted in the Union cabinet on Wednesday.

    PARSHOTTAM RUPALA: Senior BJP leader Parshottam Rupala, who comes from the influential Kadva Patidar or Patel community in Gujarat, had served as the principal of a government school and later as the chief officer of Amreli municipality for five years before taking a political plunge in the late 1980s when he joined the BJP.

    Rupala (66), a native of Amreli district, subsequently rose through the party ranks and became an MLA for the first time in 1991 from the Amreli seat, which he went on to represent for two more terms till 2002.

    He had served as a minister in the then BJP government from 1995 to 2002.

    Rupala became the president of the Gujarat unit of the saffron party in 2006 and remained in that role till 2010 when he was appointed as the national vice president of the BJP.

    Rupala is known for his unique and humorous oratory skills which come in handy for the BJP to keep the rural audiences engaged during election campaigning.

    According to his official bio-data, Rupala, who holds B.SC and B.Ed degrees, had served as the president of the Amreli district BJP from 1988 to 1991 and represented the Amreli Assembly segment thrice between 1991 and 2002.

    However, Rupala never contested any state election again after his defeat in the 2002 Assembly polls at the hands of Congress’ Paresh Dhanani.

    He was first nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2008 and remained a member of the Upper House till 2014.

    In 2016, he was again appointed to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat and sworn in as the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

    DARSHANA JARDOSH: After serving in various positions in the Gujarat BJP for over three decades, incumbent Lok Sabha MP from Surat Darshana Jardosh, is all set for a bigger role as a minister in the Narendra Modi government.

    Jardosh (60), belongs to the Darji community which comes under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

    She made a winning hat-trick from Surat in 2009, 2014 and in 2019.

    According to her official biodata, Jardosh had held the position of the vice president of Surat BJP’s ward no.8 committee in the late 1980s and was later elected as a corporator from the same ward in 2000.

    Subsequently, she was appointed as the president of the women’s wing of the Surat BJP and then as the general secretary of the state BJP women’s wing till 2008.

    In her maiden Lok Sabha contest from Surat in 2009, Jardosh defeated Congress’ Dhiru Gajera by a margin of over 74,000 votes.

    Not a known face outside Surat and someone who likes to keep a low profile, Jardosh emerged victorious in the general elections of 2014 and 2019 winning her seat by a thumping margin of over 5 lakh votes on both the occasions.

    After she became an MP in 2009, Jardosh served as a member of different committees of Parliament, such as committees for chemicals and fertilisers, estimates, empowerment of women, finance and business advisory.

    MANSUKH MANDAVIYA: Mansukh Mandaviya, a BJP leader from Gujarat’s Saurashtra region, has been an important young face in the Narendra Modi government at the Centre since 2016.

    He was first inducted in the Union cabinet as Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemicals and Fertilisers on July 5, 2016.

    On May 30, 2019, he was again sworn in as MoS for Chemicals and Fertilisers with an independent charge of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

    Born into a farming family in Hanol village in Bhavnagar district on July 1, 1972, Mandaviya was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2012 and reelected in 2018.

    Earlier, he had served as chairman of the Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Limited.

    He started his political journey as a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the RSS’ student wing, before joining the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP.

    Mandaviya became the youngest MLA in Gujarat in 2002 when he was elected from Palitana constituency.

    A postgraduate in political science from Bhavnagar University, Mandaviya is also known for organising long padyatras (foot marches) including two that he held as an MLA to spread awareness on girls’ education and the perils of addiction.

    Taking into account his organisational skills, he was made the youngest-ever secretary of the state BJP in 2013, and general secretary in 2014.

    In 2014, he also became in-charge of the BJP’s mega membership drive during which one crore people joined the party.

    The following year in 2015, he was selected to represent India at the United Nations where he delivered a speech on the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’.

    As Union minister, he is credited with setting up over 5,100 Jan Aushadhi stores to provide more than 850 medicines at affordable rates and reducing the cost of heart stents and knee implants.

    He was honoured by UNICEF for his contribution to the cause of women’s menstrual hygiene by using the chain of Jan Aushadhi Kendras to sell 10 crore sanitary pads made with oxo-biodegradable technology at a nominal price.