Kolkata, Nov. 9 -- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced a major infrastructure and tourism revamp for the coastal belt of East Midnapore, clearing Rs 1,600 crore worth of coastal development and erosion control projects.
The initiatives aim to transform the 27-kilometre stretch from Udaypur to Talpati into a premier tourism cluster, spanning spots like Digha, Mandarmani, Shankarpur, and Tajpur.
The state government will also provide a subsidy of Rs 5 lakh to individuals setting up new four-room homestays in the designated coastal zones. With this, the BJP government aims to foster local entrepreneurship and create job opportunities, the Chief Minister stated. Regular helicopter services to Digha will be introduced to enhance luxury connectivity. For train travellers, the transport and tourism departments will jointly operate specialised buses connecting transit points directly to Mandarmani, Tajpur, and the Chandaneswar Shiva Temple in neighbouring Odisha, he added.
"The state government will develop the 27 km coastline between Talpati and Udaypur in the East Midnapore coastal belt into a cluster of tourist destinations, focusing on jobs for local people. New homestays in designated tourist spots will get a Rs 5 lakh subsidy, while Digha will get a helicopter service," Adhikari said.
A significant portion of the Rs 1,600 crore budget will fund two massive irrigation and anti-erosion projects managed by the State Irrigation Department at Shankarpur beach and Chandpur to protect the vulnerable coastline from sea surges. The project includes the revival of Digha's defunct snake park, extensive beautification of Amravati Park and a massive coastal afforestation drive focusing on casuarina (jhau) forests and mangrove restoration.
To accommodate eco-friendly travel, the region will be equipped with compressed natural gas (CNG) stations and electric vehicle (EV) charging grids. A dedicated Disaster Management Group (DMG) cell comprising 50 specialised state police personnel will be formed to streamline emergency responses ahead of severe cyclones, the Chief Minister added.
Speaking at an event in the coastal town of Digha, Adhikari said the initiative would focus on creating job opportunities for local people. He pointed out that his government recently extended the jurisdiction of the Digha Shankarpur Development Authority (DSDA) up to the coastal areas. He also announced enhanced safety measures for fishermen, including a high-frequency control room at the DSDA office in Digha.
During a meeting with DSDA officials, the chief minister directed them to draw a development roadmap in coordination with tourism, forest, irrigation and waterways, PWD, environment and transport departments.
Alleging that a "syndicate" grabbed land in the area and extorted money for economic transactions in the area under the previous TMC regime, Adhikari said: "I hope the extortion syndicates that existed in Digha have been shut down."
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister is scheduled to visit Harish Chatterjee Street in Kalighat on Tuesday.
The street is located in the lane where former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence is situated.
According to sources, several Kali Puja celebrations are being organised in the area, and Adhikari has reportedly been invited by the organisers.
Adhikari visited Lake Kalibari in the evening and offered puja.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.