To promote tourism in the Sundarbans, the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal is planning to introduce an African safari kind of expedition in the area.
The chief minister herself made this announcement at a rally in Gosaba in the Sundarbans on Tuesday. “We are thinking if anything can be done on the lines of African safari in the Sundarbans,” she said. Ms Banerjee is on a two-day visit to the region.
She explained that the objective of her visit was two-fold: to review the rehabilitation and repair work in the Aila-devastated areas and to promote tourism in the Sundarbans. She announced a slew of projects for development of tourism in Gosaba, Namkhana, Patharprati-ma, Jharkhali, Pakhiralaya and Hingalganj areas.
“An influx of tourists will lead to the construction of large number of hotels, markets, shops and development of the transport system,” she added. \
Ms Banerjee was accompanied by Union minister of state for shipping Mukul Roy and several state ministers, including panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee, chief secretary, home secretary, district magistrate and superintendent of police.
She said that a team of officials from infrastructure leasing and financial sectors from Delhi, entrusted by the state government, had visited the Sundarbans to explore its tourism potential.
She also vowed to build houses for homeless people. “The state government will provide three cottahs to each homeless family in the state,” she added. The people living in Aila-affected areas will get rice at `2 per kg. She handed compensation cheques worth `2 lakhs to the families of fishermen who were killed by Bangladeshi pirates on Friday in the Bay of Bengal.
The chief minister also asked the CPI(M) to remain silent for 34 years and not criticise her government.
“Those who did nothing for the development of the state for 34 years should keep their mouths shut and take rest at home for 34 years instead of spreading canards about our government,” she said. She also claimed that the work her government had done in eight months, the Left Front would not be able to do even in 800 years.