Patna, July 20: Chairman of Co-operative Fisheries Federation Limited (Coffed) Rishikesh Kashyap said Primary Fishermen Co-operative Society members would be selected by Bihar State Election Association, and the few ad hoc committees that have members who were not into fish farming would be cancelled. He said this at a news meet organised at the Coffed office.

He said: “Members of Primary Fishermen Co-operative Society would now be selected by Bihar State Election Association Committees, comprising traditional fishermen, would be formed in each block of the state. These members would include those who catch fishes and are involved in boating or selling fishes.” Kashyap added: “The responsibility of settlement of all the 28,000 government ponds across the state would be given to these committees for seven years. Few former ad hoc committees, which have people from non-fishing committees, have been cancelled.”

JD(U) MP Jainarayan Prasad Nishad said: “We have requested the state government to cancel these ad hoc committees because these mostly comprise members who are not into fish farming. It is also against the code of conduct to continue settlements with the ad hoc committees if the state government has decided to hold elections.”