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Bengal plans coastal tourism hub, ₹5 lakh homestay subsidy, helicopter service to Digha
Bengal plans coastal tourism hub, ₹5 lakh homestay subsidy, helicopter service to Digha
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Digha , To boost blue tourism in West Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced plans to develop a 27-km stretch of coastline in Purba Medinipur district into a cluster of tourist destinations, a ₹5 lakh subsidy for new homestays and enhanced safety measures for fisherfolk.
Speaking at an event in the coastal town of Digha, he said the initiative would focus on creating job opportunities for locals while making family holidays affordable for middle- and lower-middle-income groups.
He pointed out that his government recently extended the jurisdiction of the Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority up to the coastal areas.
DSDA is a statutory body that was constituted in 1993 as the Digha Development Authority. The nodal agency for the development of the area was renamed after Shankarpur was brought under its jurisdiction.
"The West Bengal government will develop the 27-km coastline between Talpati and Udaypur in the Purba Medinipur coastal belt into a cluster of tourist destinations, focusing on jobs for local people and low-cost family trips for the middle and lower-middle classes. Also, new homestays in designated tourist spots will get a ₹5 lakh subsidy, while Digha will get a helicopter service," Adhikari said.
He also announced enhanced safety measures for fishermen, including a high-frequency control room at the DSDA office in Digha and a specialised cell of 50 state police personnel by March to tackle severe cyclones.
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."
After the DSDA meeting, the chief minister announced a series of initiatives for the tourism sector and the state's fishing community.
He said plans were set to extend development activities from Soula beach to Mandarmani and up to Petua. The key projects include development of new tourist spots and homestays, beautification of the Amarabati Park in Digha, reviving the closed snake park and operationalising helicopter services, Adhikari said.
Highlighting initiatives taken jointly with the Centre under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, Adhikari said new homestays in designated tourist spots would receive a subsidy of ₹5 lakh.
"The previous government did not let West Bengal join the Centre's Sagarmala 1 initiative that aimed to promote port-led development across the country's coastline. It harmed the state's coastal belts and fishermen," Adhikari said, adding that steps were being taken under Sagarmala 2 to develop fishing harbours and jetties.
He said two major irrigation projects at Chandpur and Shankarpur, valued at about ₹200 crore, had been sanctioned in collaboration with the state irrigation minister and secretary. The plans also include extensive coastal afforestation, including replanting of mangrove forests along the coast.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
