The newly inaugurated tourist complex in Cooch Behar. Picture by Main Uddin Chisti

Cooch Behar, Feb. 25: Bengal fisheries minister Kiranmay Nanda today announced that sales outlets for aquarium fish of international standard would be set up in Siliguri. He added that negotiations were on with some departments for land for the project.

Nanda, who is also the chairman of Benfish, made the announcement while inaugurating a tourist complex — built at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore — here this morning. Since Cooch Behar was declared a “heritage town”, the tourist complex has been designed like the historical buildings of the town. This is the 14th tourist lodge to be built by Benfish in the state.

In his speech, the minister said there was a great demand for aquarium fish in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and China. Those selling aquarium fish in Siliguri cannot at present meet the demand from these countries, Nanda said.

The minister said the state government had taken up a project to encourage and involve women in pisciculture. The women would be given soft loans for setting up aquariums. The National Grants Commission has sanctioned Rs 7 crore for the project.

The minister today asked the district magistrate and the fisheries department officials to involve women by setting up self-help groups so that they could raise fish in small tanks.