Diesel Subsidy to Fishermen Boats

What is the Diesel Subsidy to Fishermen Boats scheme?

The Diesel Subsidy to Fishermen Boats scheme is run by the Department of Fisheries, Government of Andhra Pradesh, under the Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Department. The scheme reduces the running cost of fishing by reimbursing Rs 9 per litre of the diesel a registered fishing boat burns during the fishing season.

Diesel is the single largest operating cost for a marine fishing trip. A mechanised trawler running out of Visakhapatnam, Kakinada or Nizampatnam can burn several hundred litres on one multi-day trip, and fuel routinely accounts for a majority of the trip's cost. The subsidy exists so that a bad catch does not turn straight into a debt, and so that boats keep operating when fuel prices spike.

Andhra Pradesh has a coastline of about 974 km, and the Fisheries Department describes the sector as a growth engine for the state. The diesel subsidy is one of the department's oldest continuing marine fishermen welfare measures, and it sits alongside ban-period relief, boat modernisation support and harbour infrastructure.

How much subsidy is given?

At the full monthly limit, a mechanised boat owner draws up to Rs 27,000 a month and a motorised boat owner up to Rs 2,700 a month. Over the ten eligible months, that works out to a maximum of Rs 2.7 lakh a year for a mechanised boat.

The ten-month window is not arbitrary. Andhra Pradesh observes an annual marine fishing ban on the east coast, generally from 15 April to 14 June, during which mechanised fishing is prohibited to allow fish stocks to breed. No diesel subsidy accrues in the ban period, because no fishing takes place. Relief for that period comes from a separate scheme.

In the 2026-27 year the state government provided diesel subsidies worth around Rs 50 crore to fishing boats. Fishermen associations along the coast have publicly sought an increase in the per-litre rate, arguing that Rs 9 has not kept pace with diesel price rises, but the notified rate remains Rs 9 per litre.

Who is eligible for the diesel subsidy?

You can claim the subsidy if:

• You own a mechanised or motorised fishing boat registered with the Andhra Pradesh Fisheries Department, with the registration current for the season.
• You hold a fishermen identity card issued by the Fisheries Department certifying that you belong to the fishing community and pursue fishing as your occupation.
• You hold a valid fishing licence or permit under the state's marine fishing regulation.
• The boat operates from an Andhra Pradesh harbour or landing centre and draws fuel from a designated bunk in the department's network.

You cannot apply if:

• Your boat is not registered with the Fisheries Department, or the registration has lapsed. The permit attaches to the boat, so a lapsed registration blocks the claim even for a lifelong fisherman.
• You operate a traditional non-motorised craft. Such boats use no diesel and are not covered by this scheme, though they qualify for other fisheries welfare support.
• You are a crew member rather than the boat owner. The subsidy is claimed by the registered owner against the boat's fuel consumption.
• You are an inland aquaculture or fish farming operator. Pond aeration and farm power are supported under separate AP Fisheries Policy incentives, not under this boat diesel subsidy.
• The diesel was purchased outside the designated bunk network. Retail pump receipts are not admissible.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the diesel subsidy

1. Register or renew your boat registration at the office of the Assistant Director of Fisheries for your district, before the fishing season begins. Carry the boat's ownership papers, engine details and previous registration.
2. Obtain or renew your fishermen identity card from the Fisheries Department. The department issues this certificate to members of the fishing community who pursue fishing as an occupation, and it is the basic proof of entitlement for every fisheries welfare scheme.
3. Submit the diesel subsidy application at the Mandal Fisheries Office, the Assistant Director of Fisheries office, or your village or ward secretariat, attaching the boat registration certificate, identity card, Aadhaar, fishing licence and bank passbook.
4. Collect the diesel permit or entitlement card issued against your boat. This records your monthly litre entitlement to 3,000 litres for a mechanised boat, 300 for a motorised boat.
5. Draw diesel only from a designated bunk, presenting the permit each time so the litres drawn are recorded against your boat's entitlement. Keep every receipt.
6. Submit the monthly claim with the bunk receipts through the same office or the fishermen cooperative society, so that the Rs 9 per litre subsidy is settled.
7. Track the credit in your bank account and follow up at the Mandal Fisheries Office if the settlement does not appear within the department's normal cycle.

How to apply offline through the secretariat

1. Visit your village or ward secretariat in the coastal mandal where you are resident and ask the welfare assistant for the fisheries diesel subsidy application.
2. Submit the completed form with certified copies of the boat registration, fishermen identity card, Aadhaar and bank passbook.
3. Obtain a dated acknowledgement, and note the application number for follow-up.
4. Attend field verification by the Fisheries Extension Officer, who checks the boat physically against its registration particulars.

How to check your claim status

1. Ask at the Mandal Fisheries Office or the Assistant Director of Fisheries office, quoting your boat registration number rather than your own name, records are maintained boat-wise.
2. Check with your fishermen cooperative society if the claim was routed through it, since society-level settlement lists are usually displayed at the society office.
3. Verify the litres recorded against your permit at the designated bunk, because a shortfall in the settlement most often traces back to receipts that were never posted against the permit.

Why diesel subsidy claims get rejected

• Lapsed boat registration at the time of the claim, the most frequent cause.
• Expired fishing licence for the season.
• Diesel purchased at a non-designated bunk, leaving receipts that cannot be reconciled against the permit.
• Litres claimed above the monthly cap, anything over 3,000 litres for a mechanised boat or 300 for a motorised boat in a month is disallowed outright.
• Claims for the ban period, which the ten-month rule excludes.
• Mismatch between the boat's registered engine type and the category claimed, for example a motorised boat claiming the mechanised limit.
• Bank account not active or not matching the registered owner's name, causing the reimbursement to fail.

What other support do Andhra Pradesh fishermen get?

The diesel subsidy is one part of a wider fisheries welfare package. Fisherman families also receive ban period relief of Rs 20,000 under the Matsyakara Sevalo scheme — the renamed continuation of the earlier YSR Matsyakara Bharosa, paid while the annual fishing ban keeps boats ashore. The state disbursed Rs 262 crore of such relief in a recent cycle.

Beyond direct payments, the Fisheries Department is developing nine fishing harbours and eight fish landing centres at a reported cost of Rs 3,256 crore, has installed thousands of transponders on boats for at-sea communication and safety, and offers capital subsidies for fish and shrimp processing units under the AP Fisheries Policy.

Where to get help

• Commissioner of Fisheries, Department of Fisheries, Bandar Road, Poranki – 521137, Vijayawada.
• Assistant Director of Fisheries office in your coastal district, the working office for registration, permits and claims.
• Mandal Fisheries Office and your village or ward secretariat for application intake and status.
• Official portal: fisheries.ap.gov.in

Boat registration, identity cards and subsidy claims carry only the notified statutory fee, if any. No official or middleman may charge extra to issue a diesel permit or to release a subsidy settlement.