West Bengal has announced plans to develop a 27-km stretch of the Purba Medinipur coastline into a cluster of tourist destinations, alongside a Rs 5 lakh subsidy for new homestays, enhanced cyclone safety measures for fishermen and a proposed helicopter service to Digha.
The announcement was made by chief minister Suvendu Adhikari at an event in Digha. The proposed coastal development will cover the belt between Talpati and Udaypur, with the government saying it aims to create jobs for local residents and make family holidays more affordable for middle- and lower-middle-income visitors.
Adhikari directed officials to prepare a development roadmap in coordination with the tourism, forest, irrigation and waterways, public works, environment and transport departments. The move places the Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority at the centre of planning for the expanded coastal area.
The authority, known as DSDA, was constituted in 1993 as the Digha Development Authority. It was later renamed after Shankarpur was brought under its jurisdiction. The state government has recently extended its jurisdiction towards the coastal areas, according to the announcement.
The proposed tourism cluster will include development of new tourist spots and homestays, beautification of Amarabati Park in Digha, revival of the closed snake park and the operationalisation of helicopter services. Development activities are also planned from Soula beach to Mandarmani and up to Petua.
New homestays in designated tourist locations will receive a subsidy of Rs 5 lakh under initiatives linked to the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, Adhikari said. The announcement did not specify the number of homestays eligible for the subsidy, the total allocation or the implementation schedule.
Fishermen are also expected to receive new safety support. The measures include a high-frequency control room at the DSDA office in Digha and a specialised cell comprising 50 state police personnel by March to respond to severe cyclones. The announcement did not provide further operational details about the control room or the proposed police cell.
The plan also includes coastal infrastructure and environmental measures. Two irrigation projects at Chandpur and Shankarpur, valued at about Rs 200 crore, have been sanctioned in collaboration with the state irrigation department, according to Adhikari. The government also plans extensive coastal afforestation and the replanting of mangrove forests along the coastline.
Adhikari said the state would pursue fishing harbours and jetties under Sagarmala 2. He alleged that a land syndicate and extortion network had previously operated in Digha, but the announcement did not provide supporting details or specify any administrative action connected to the allegation.
The next formal step is the preparation of the inter-departmental development roadmap by DSDA and the departments involved in tourism, coastal management, public works, transport and environmental administration.
