By Md Ilyas

Copyright deccanchronicle

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed two bills on Wednesday, the fourth day of the Monsoon Session.These were the AP Aquaculture Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Andhra Pradesh Grama Sachivalayams and Ward Sachivalayams (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The Sachivalayams bill was introduced in the house by minister Dola Sribala Veeranjaneya Swamy and the aquaculture bill by agriculture minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu. Atchannaidu reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening the aquaculture sector. He noted that the chief minister has prioritised the aqua industry by classifying areas into “zone” and “non-zone” regions to ensure balanced development. The minister said, “Aquaculture farmers must mandatorily register with the government to avail benefits. The subsidy of `1.50 per electricity unit will be applicable only to registered farmers.” The government, he said, is geo-tagging ponds and identifying aqua fields to bring transparency into the system. While the state promised 64,500 electricity connections under subsidy to aqua farmers, so far 50,000 such connections have been provided. Atchannaidu said the government spent Rs.1,100 crore annually to provide subsidized power. He said the new legislation was framed after consultations with aqua farmers and industry leaders to ensure profitability for cultivators. Currently, 20 per cent of aqua farmers have not completed their registration; they will be given another chance by paying a 50 per cent of the late fee. The minister said the validity of business operation licences in aquaculture has been reduced from a lifetime term of one year to five years. Special plans were being put in place for the welfare of aqua farmers, including subsidy schemes, better market opportunities, and focus on expanding into international markets.