Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today laid foundation stones for a state-of-the-art wholesale fish market in Bhubaneswar and an integrated aqua park at Hirakud in Odisha’s Sambalpur district.

The Prime Minister laid foundations for the twin projects through videoconference from New Delhi.

The modern fish market will come up on around six acres of land at Pandra in the capital city under the Pradhan Mantri Matshya Sampad Yojana (PMMSY) with an allocation of Rs 59.13 crore.

The Centre has allocated Rs 30 crore for the project while the state government will provide Rs 29.13 crore.

The project will be jointly executed by the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), said the state government in statement.

As many as 143 fish traders will be benefitted through the project. Besides, the project will create employment opportunities for over 2,000 people indirectly, said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

The proposed fish market will have all modern facilities including administrative block, hostel, ice factory, effluent treatment plant (ETP), solar power system, fire safety system and rainwater harvesting system. It will cater to the needs of the consumers of the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. A target has been set to execute the project by November, 2027, added the Chief Minister.

According to the Chief Minister, the integrated aqua park will be set up on 95.47 acres of government land at Hirakud with an allocation of Rs 100 crore. The Centre will provide Rs 60 crore for the project while the state government will bear the remaining expenditure of Rs 40 crore. This will be the first aqua park project in the Eastern India. The project will be executed by January, 2027, said the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

“The aqua park at Hirakud will be a centre of excellence for modern aquaculture and contribute significantly to the Blue Revolution in India,” added the CMO.