Matsya Jeebi Credit Card (MJCC) Scheme
A Kisan Credit Card for fishing livelihoods — working-capital loans up to ₹2 lakh at 7% interest, cut to an effective 4% for on-time repayment, with no collateral needed up to ₹1.6 lakh.
Run by: Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture, Aquatic Resources and Fishing Harbour, Government of West Bengal
- Loan limit
- Up to ₹2,00,000
- Base interest
- 7% per year
- Timely-repayment rebate
- 3% (effective ~4%)
- Collateral-free limit
- Up to ₹1,60,000
Overview
A fish farmer's working-capital needs — seed, feed, fuel, nets — are as seasonal and as urgent as a crop farmer's, but institutional credit has historically been harder to reach for fishing households than for landholding ones. The Matsya Jeebi Credit Card closes that gap by extending the Kisan Credit Card model to the fisheries sector, letting eligible fish farmers and fisherfolk draw short-term credit from a bank instead of a moneylender.
The state Department of Fisheries launched it in 2022. Credit runs up to ₹2,00,000 at a base rate of 7 per cent per year, with a 3 per cent rebate for repayment on or before the due date — bringing the effective cost down to around 4 per cent for a borrower who pays on time. Repayment is scheduled to fall after harvesting and marketing rather than as a fixed monthly EMI. The scheme states that loans up to ₹1.6 lakh need no collateral; the RBI raised the collateral-free ceiling for agriculture and allied loans (fisheries included) to ₹2 lakh from 1 January 2025, so many banks now apply the higher figure — confirm with your branch.
Eligibility is wide by design: small and marginal fish farmers, Self Help Groups, Joint Liability Groups, fish producer groups and fish farmer producer organisations engaged in aquaculture, plus fisherfolk in dry fish processing and allied fish businesses — door-to-door fish vending, pickle- and papad-making from fish or shrimp, and ornament-making from fish scales are all named as qualifying activities.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- Short-term working-capital loan up to ₹2,00,000 for fisheries-related activity.
- Base interest of 7% per year, reduced by a 3% rebate for repayment on or before the due date.
- No collateral required for loans up to ₹1,60,000.
- Open to a wide range of fisheries livelihoods — fish farming, dry fish processing, fish vending, and fish-based food and craft businesses, not only pond owners.
- Applications can be made online or at Duare Sarkar camps, with department officials verifying documents before forwarding to the bank.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Small and marginal fish farmer, individual or in a group, engaged in aquaculture
- Member of a Self Help Group, Joint Liability Group, fish producer group or fish farmer producer organisation
- Fisherfolk engaged in dry fish processing or allied fish business — vending, pickle/papad-making, fish-scale ornament-making
- Marine fisheries: owner of a registered fishing vessel/boat holding the necessary licence from the competent authority
Not covered
- Applicants without proof of access to a water body (ownership, or a lease certified by the panchayat/municipality and Fisheries Extension Officer)
- Unregistered fishing vessels or boats without the required licence, for the marine-fisheries category
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Two passport-size photographs
- Self-attested copies of Aadhaar and voter ID
- Fishermen identity card, if already issued
- Address proof
- Photocopy of the water body schedule, and ownership proof or a lease agreement certified by the panchayat/municipality and the Fisheries Extension Officer
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Apply online or at a Duare Sarkar camp
Submit the application with documents on mjcc-fisheries.wb.gov.in, or at a Duare Sarkar camp where department officials verify papers and issue a receipt.
- 2
Verification and forwarding to bank
The Fisheries Extension Officer checks the water-body and identity documents, then the application is forwarded to the designated bank branch.
- 3
Sanction and disbursal
The bank sanctions the credit card limit — up to ₹2 lakh, collateral-free up to ₹1.6 lakh (₹2 lakh at banks applying the 2025 RBI norm) — and the borrower draws working capital as needed against it.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- If a verified application is not forwarded to the bank, the bank sits on it, or the 3% timely-repayment rebate is not credited, take it to the Fisheries Extension Officer and the district Assistant Director of Fisheries; raise a bank-side delay with the branch manager and the Lead District Manager. Department helpline: 033-2357 0072.
- Beyond the department, use West Bengal's CMO grievance portal / Public Grievance Monitoring System at cmo.wb.gov.in, which is trackable and escalates to the Head of Department.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to put up land or gold as security?
Not for loans up to ₹1,60,000 — those are collateral-free under the scheme, and up to ₹2 lakh at banks that have adopted the RBI's January 2025 norm. Above that, normal bank security norms apply.
What is the real interest cost if I repay on time?
The base rate is 7% per year, and a 3% rebate applies for repayment on or before the due date — so a borrower who pays on time effectively pays around 4%.
I process and sell dry fish but do not own a pond. Am I eligible?
Yes. Fisherfolk in dry fish processing and allied fish businesses — including door-to-door vending, pickle or papad making from fish/shrimp, and fish-scale ornament making — are named as eligible activities.
When do I have to repay?
After harvesting and marketing your fish or produce — the repayment schedule is matched to the aquaculture / fishing cycle, not a fixed monthly EMI.
Can a group apply, not just an individual?
Yes. Self Help Groups, Joint Liability Groups, fish producer groups and fish farmer producer organisations engaged in aquaculture are eligible, alongside individual small and marginal fish farmers.
Do I need to own the water body?
Ownership works, but so does a lease agreement certified by the panchayat or municipality and the Fisheries Extension Officer. Proof of access to a water body is the requirement, not ownership itself.
Facts checked against mjcc-fisheries.wb.gov.in on 8 September 2026. editorial policy.