Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government on Wednesday announced an amendment to its scheme providing VAT relief on diesel used in motorized fishing boats.

Giving details, government spokesperson and Minister Jitubhai Vaghani said that under the previous rules, the benefit of the scheme was available only to motorized fishing boats measuring less than 20 metres in length. In the larger interest of the fishing community, the government has now decided to remove this 20-metre limit altogether. As a result of the amendment, all motorized fishing boats in the state, including deep-sea vessels, will now be eligible to avail the benefit of the scheme.

To avail the benefit, every fishing boat must be registered on the Real Craft Portal and possess a valid fishing licence. With this decision, more than 18,000 registered motorized fishing boats across the state have become eligible for diesel VAT relief, the Minister said.

He further said that all eligible motorized fishing boats under the scheme will be issued a ‘Diesel Card’ by the government. Boats holding this card will receive VAT relief of up to ₹15 per litre on diesel. If the applicable VAT is less than ₹15 per litre, the subsidy will be limited to the actual VAT amount.

The benefit will be available equally to small, medium and large fishermen, significantly reducing their daily diesel expenses, strengthening their financial condition and increasing their income. The Minister also urged fishermen who have not yet registered on the Real Craft Portal or obtained a valid fishing licence to complete the process at the earliest to avail the benefits of the scheme. DeshGujarat