New Delhi, Oct. 25 -- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday announced that Kakdwip would be upgraded from a subdivision to a separate district, promising to develop an integrated "Sundarbans model" by connecting the islands to improve public services and accelerate development in the region.
"Even if it takes two years, we will make Kakdwip a district," Adhikari said, acknowledging that the administrative process could take time.
He said the government would work towards bringing the islands under a unified development framework to improve connectivity and ensure better delivery of public services to residents of remote areas.
Kakdwip subdivision currently comprises four blocks - Kakdwip, Namkhana, Patharpratima and Sagar. The proposed district is expected to bring the administration closer to residents, although details of the restructuring are yet to be finalised. The Chief Minister also set a deadline for the district administration to issue Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) certificates to eligible applicants, signalling the government's intention to expedite the process.
Announcing a series of development measures for South 24-Parganas, Adhikari claimed that his government had substantially increased spending compared with the previous regime. He alleged that the previous government had allocated Rs 600 crore for 2025-26 but spent only Rs 200 crore, claiming that 80 per cent of the amount spent had been siphoned off.
"We have earmarked Rs 1,200 crore specifically for you in our eight-month budget," he said.
Adhikari said tenders had been issued for 553 projects in the first phase, while another 2,650 projects were planned in the second phase. With the monsoon over, work on the first batch of projects would begin, he added.
The Chief Minister also announced an allocation of Rs 100 crore for repairing embankments in the Sundarbans, a region vulnerable to cyclones, tidal surges and riverbank erosion. The proposed repairs are aimed at strengthening protection for vulnerable stretches and addressing recurring concerns over embankment damage.
Adhikari further promised to inaugurate the long-awaited Muriganga bridge by 2029. The project is expected to improve connectivity between the mainland and Sagar Island, reducing the region's dependence on water transport. He accused the previous Trinamool Congress government of siphoning off funds allocated for the project and alleged that little substantive work had been carried out.
Taking a political swipe at former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Adhikari invoked the idea of "natural justice", referring to an incident last year when she had placed a Kali idol in a prison van at Kakdwip. He drew a parallel with her recent placement in a prison van in Delhi.
"There is always natural justice. You get in return what you do," he said.
The announcements place administrative restructuring, island connectivity, embankment protection and infrastructure development at the centre of the government's plans for South 24-Parganas and the Sundarbans.
The proposed Kakdwip district, if implemented, would mark a significant administrative change for the region's four-block subdivision.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.