Atma Nirbhar Matsya Palan Yojana — 45% Subsidy for ST Fish Farmers — Frequently Asked Questions

It is a fisheries subsidy programme run by the Department of Fisheries, Government of Arunachal Pradesh. Its purpose is to help Scheduled Tribe households in the state take up fish farming and earn from aquaculture, by combining a government subsidy with a linked bank loan instead of offering a single standalone grant.

There is no flat rupee figure. The support is calculated as a share of your project cost: a 45% government subsidy, a 45% credit-linked bank loan and a 10% contribution from you. Because the amounts are proportional, the total value depends on how large your aquaculture project is and how it is assessed during screening.

No. The support comes in the form of a subsidy and a bank loan, which means nothing is taken in return as shares or ownership. It is a non-dilutive arrangement — you retain full ownership of the fish farming venture.

Applicants must belong to a Scheduled Tribe community and be permanent residents of Arunachal Pradesh, and they must already be engaged in or experienced in fisheries and aquaculture. Individual farmers, Self Help Groups and registered Farmers Producer Organizations can all apply, provided they meet the conditions set for their category.

An individual applicant must be between 18 and 60 years of age, must have enough suitable land for the aquaculture activity being proposed, must not be a bank defaulter, and must not be a government servant.

An SHG must be affiliated with APRSLM, or with NERCOMP if the group is based in Changlang. The group also needs to be actively involved in fisheries or aquaculture work, since practical engagement in the sector is a condition across all applicant categories.

A Farmers Producer Organization must be a registered entity, must have at least 100 shareholders, and must be able to produce at least one audited balance sheet. Like individual and SHG applicants, the FPO also needs to be engaged in fisheries or aquaculture.

No. The scheme runs on a rolling basis, meaning applications are accepted continuously and there is no fixed deadline to meet. You can apply whenever your documents and project proposal are ready.

You can apply online or offline. For the online route, register on the Atma Nirbhar Yojana portal by creating a User ID and password, log in, complete the application form and upload your documents before submitting. For the offline route, collect a form from your District Fisheries Development Office or download it from the official website, fill in all mandatory fields, attach self-attested copies of the documents and submit the signed form to the District Fisheries Development Officers, asking for a receipt or acknowledgement with the submission details.

The application calls for a passport-style photograph, a caste certificate, a residential certificate establishing permanent residence in Arunachal Pradesh, and proof of land ownership. These need to be uploaded for online applications, or attached as self-attested copies for the offline application.

District Fisheries Development Officers receive and process the applications, and a District Level Screening Committee reviews them. The review involves checking your eligibility, judging whether the proposed aquaculture project is feasible, and looking at your experience in fisheries. Some applicants are asked to go through a further evaluation before the final selection, after which the subsidy is approved and bank credit linkage is arranged.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for Atma Nirbhar Matsya Palan Yojana — 45% Subsidy for ST Fish Farmers, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

Atma Nirbhar Matsya Palan Yojana — 45% Subsidy for ST Fish Farmers is offered by Department of Fisheries, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.