: Tripura Governor N. Indrasena Reddy praised aqua farmers of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, for making the state the leader in production and export of fish in the country. At an aquaculture exhibition in Unguturu, Eluru district, Indrasena Reddy said though Tripura is a small, hill-state, it is still encouraging aqua production.

"The Tripura government has even enacted special laws to encourage this sector and for the welfare of aquaculturists," he said. He said the Tripura government would study the aquaculture practices in Andhra Pradesh to adopt the same, even as he noted that conditions for aquaculture are favourable in Andhra Pradesh. "Tripura is already a tourism hub.

It is doing well in education, medical and health sectors and literacy rate is at 97 per cent," he said. Unguturu MLA Patsamatla Dharma Raju said Eluru stood first among all state districts with aquaculture production of 11.93 lakhs tonnes in the last year.

He said that the government is growing brood stock (for breeding) in ponds without making use of antibiotics. Eluru revenue divisional officer Achut Ambarish, fisheries joint director S.S.

V. Nagalingacharyulu, BJP leader Garapati Sitharama Chowdary, Malathi Rani and others were present..