<span style="color: #222222;">Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala today urged the state governments to join hands with the centre to take the country's fisheries sector further forward.<br />''<br />''He was addressing a function at Kasargod, held as part of the seventh phase of the Sagar Parikrama programme, covering Kerala and Lakshadweep.<br />''<br />''Mr Rupala said a two-day meeting of state fisheries ministers will be convened soon at Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, to chalk out various measures to take the sector forward.<br />''<br />''He also called upon the state governments to bring more fishermen within the purview of Kisan Credit Cards, which will provide them with institutional credit facilities. He said the government is working on improving marketing linkages and evolving an insurance scheme for the benefit of fishers.<br />''<br />''Mr Rupla, along with Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Dr L Murugan interacted with fishermen and distributed assistance, awards and certificates to the beneficiaries of PM Matsaya Sampada Yojana.</span><br />