EFFORTS: A Digital Leap for Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare

The E-net for Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Online Registration and Tracking System (EFFORTS) was officially launched on December 14, 2024, by the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Shri K. Kailashnathan. Developed by the NIC Puducherry, the portal aims to streamline the registration and welfare tracking for fishermen under the Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare.

The launch event commenced with a warm welcome by Shri A. Nedunchezhiyan, I.A.S., Secretary to the Government of Puducherry (Fisheries). He emphasized the concerted efforts made in bringing this initiative to fruition, aimed at enhancing the accessibility of welfare schemes for the fishing community.

Shri K. Lakshminarayanan, Hon'ble Minister for Fisheries, highlighted the portal’s significance in ensuring transparency and efficiency in the disbursement of benefits under various welfare schemes. He lauded the shift from manual to digital enrolment processes, which eliminates the need for physical form submissions and expedites the overall process for fishermen.

The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Puducherry, Shri N. Rangasamy, briefly outlined the government's ongoing commitment to improving the lives of the fishing community and the proactive measures taken to explore new avenues for their welfare.

The event witnessed the gracious presence of key dignitaries, including Shri R. Selvam, Hon'ble Speaker, Shri A. Namassivayam, Hon'ble Minister for Home, along with other MLAs and Secretaries to the Government of Puducherry.

Shri A. Mohamad Ismail, Director of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, expressed gratitude to the officials for their contributions in organizing the event and praised their efforts in ensuring the successful launch of the portal.

Key Features of EFFORTS

The EFFORTS portal is a web- and workflow-based solution designed to simplify and modernize the following processes:
1. Registration of Fishermen: A centralized database to store and manage fishermen profiles.
2. Welfare Scheme Enrolment: Easy online application for various schemes based on eligibility criteria.
3. Verification and Approval: Streamlined mechanisms for verifying and approving applications.
4. Profile Management: Comprehensive updates on cooperative society membership, personal and professional details, family information, and welfare records.

With its advanced features such as dashboards, generalized search options, drill-down analytics, and complete profile generation, the portal ensures seamless verification and policy-based applicability for welfare schemes. Additionally, it facilitates the generation of detailed reports for both state and central government schemes.

Acknowledgments and Felicitations

During the event, the Honourable Lieutenant Governor commended Shri V. Gopi Swaminathan, State Informatics Officer, and Shri S. Arulraj, Senior Director (IT), NIC Puducherry, for their exemplary work in developing the EFFORTS portal. Their contributions were lauded as a significant step toward digital transformation in the fisheries sector.

The launch of EFFORTS marks a milestone in the digital empowerment of Puducherry’s fishing community, paving the way for efficient governance and timely delivery of welfare benefits.