Stalin urges Centre to drop ICAR’s merger move

In a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, he said the ICAR has proposed to merge the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, the Sugarcane Breeding Institute and National Research Centre on Banana as part of its reorganisation process and an empowered committee has been constituted for the purpose. 

Stalin sought the immediate intervention of Singh to prevent any effort to merge ICAR-CIBA, ICAR-SBI and ICAR-NRCB with that of any other fisheries wing or other institutes.

He also wanted the Centre to allow these research institutes, including CIBA, to remain in their current locations and status, to protect the interest of the state and for the continuation of research activities without any hindrance.

He said CIBA was the only ICAR institute located in Chennai and it was the DMK government headed by M Karunanidhi which had granted the prime land in the heart of the city for establishing the ICAR- CIBA headquarters and labs. 

He said the other two institutes of the ICAR —SBI and NRCB—were equally important for the growth of Research and Development in the state. 

Stalin said CIBA provides technology support regularly not only to Tamil Nadu, but also to other coastal states. More than one lakh coastal farm families in the state were dependent either directly or indirectly on coastal aquaculture, he pointed out. 

Stating that about 300 employees and 70 more agricultural scientists were working in the CIBA, he said apart from this, the institute supports the state by providing Research and Development guidance, helping aquaculture production, thus enabling the state to earn Rs 1,200 crore foreign exchange through exports and generally assisting the Fisheries Department. 

“Under these circumstances, the proposed merger of ICAR-CIBA, ICAR-SBI and ICAR-NRCB with other ICAR institutes is totally unjustified and will deprive the state of these national institutes of international repute located in Chennai, Coimbatore and Tiruchy in the state,” Stalin said.

“Further, such an unacceptable reorganisation will greatly jeopardise the interests of aquaculture as well as research development in that field in the state, in addition to affecting a large number of employees,” he said and urged the Union Minister to take immediate steps to prevent the proposed merger of the three research institutes.