Maharashtra govt mandates fishermen leaving ports for fishing to carry QR-coded Aadhaar cards

The Maharashtra government has ordered that fishermen venturing into the sea for fishing will have to carry a QR-coded Aadhaar card before leaving the ports in the state, an official said on Friday.

Fisheries Department Commissioner Kishore Tawde said the decision has been taken as a step to strengthen coastal security.

Fisheries and Ports Minister Nitesh Rane recently visited Sassoon Dock in south Mumbai and found that majority of the sailors did not carry their Aadhaar cards. After that, the minister instructed the authorities to issue formal orders mandating the fishermen leaving the ports for fishing to carry QR-coded Aadhaar cards, he said.


The fisheries department has also made it mandatory for the operators of the fishing trawlers to paint their registration number on it. Renewals of licences will only be done after compliance of the order and licenses of those who do not comply with the order will be cancelled, Tawde said.