Bihar: The Bihar government has launched a significant initiative to promote entrepreneurship and employment through integrated fisheries development, targeting underutilised low-lying Chaur lands across the state.
Under the Mukhyamantri Integrated Chaur Vikas Yojana, the Animal and Fisheries Resources Department is spearheading efforts to transform privately owned Chaur areas- seasonal waterlogged lands, into productive zones for aquaculture and allied activities such as agriculture, horticulture, and agroforestry. The aim is to increase fish production, improve land utilisation and generate sustainable livelihoods in rural Bihar.
The scheme includes two models:
Labhook-based and Udyami-based Chaur development. Depending on the model and land configuration, the government supports the construction of ponds and necessary infrastructure. For example:
• Two ponds per hectare cost ₹8.88 lakh (inclusive of inputs)
• Four ponds per hectare cost ₹7.32 lakh
• A single pond with land development costs ₹9.69 lakh per hectare
Subsidy support varies by beneficiary group. Backward classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes receive up to 70% subsidy; other beneficiaries are eligible for 50%, while entrepreneurs under the Udyami category receive 40%.
The initiative is intended not just to enhance fisheries productivity, but also to reposition aquaculture as a viable enterprise model in rural economies. Interested individuals can access details on the scheme via the official website state.bihar.gov.in/ahd or visit their local District Fisheries Office.
The programme marks a strategic shift in Bihar’s rural development approach—blending natural resource management with income generation and entrepreneurship.
