SUNDARBANS DEVELOPMENT RESET: SUVENDU ADHIKARI ANNOUNCES ₹1,200-CRORE PUSH, LEVELS FUND DIVERSION CHARGES AGAINST TMC
October 24, 2026
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced a special budgetary allocation of ₹1,200 crore for the development of the Sundarbans, accusing the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of neglecting the region and failing to translate allocated funds into adequate development work. Addressing a programme in the Sundarbans on Saturday after an administrative meeting, Adhikari said the new allocation was intended to serve approximately 1.24 lakh people living in the region.
The chief minister alleged that during the 2025–26 financial year, development work worth only around ₹200 crore was completed despite an allocation of ₹600 crore. He further claimed that 80 per cent of the funds had been siphoned off. These allegations were made by Adhikari while criticising the previous administration; the claims were not independently established in the report.
Announcing the development programme, Adhikari said tenders had been floated for 553 projects in the first phase and that work on these projects would begin shortly. A further 2,649 projects are planned under the second phase, signalling a broader programme of infrastructure development across the Sundarbans.
Road connectivity forms a major component of the proposed investment. According to the chief minister, 1,169 road projects have been planned at an estimated cost of ₹1,406.34 crore. The programme will also include drainage improvements and the construction of 110 culverts, aimed at addressing local infrastructure requirements.
To improve transport links between remote islands and other parts of the region, the government plans to construct five concrete jetties and one roll-on/roll-off-cum-landing-craft-tank (RoRo-cum-LCT) jetty. These facilities are intended to strengthen connectivity in a landscape where waterways and dispersed island settlements make transport infrastructure particularly important.
The government has also earmarked ₹100 crore for electric-powered boats, with the stated objective of reducing the carbon footprint of tourism in the ecologically sensitive region. The initiative links the proposed development programme with efforts to make transport and tourism less carbon-intensive.
The fisheries sector is another area identified for support. Adhikari said ₹17 crore had been set aside for fisheries-related initiatives, while 1,931 people were undergoing training in crab fattening. In agriculture, 13,877 farmers are expected to receive battery-operated sprayers intended to improve farm productivity.
The chief minister also addressed the long-pending proposed bridge over the Muriganga river, accusing the previous government of misleading people over the project. He promised to inaugurate the bridge in 2029.
The Sundarbans, known for its extensive mangrove forests and island communities, faces distinctive challenges involving transport, infrastructure and livelihoods. The projects announced by the state government cover roads, drainage, river connectivity, fisheries and agricultural support, alongside an allocation for electric-powered boats.
The announcement places the implementation of the proposed projects at the centre of the government's development agenda for the region. While Adhikari has promised an extensive programme of investment and criticised the previous administration's record, the actual impact will depend on the timely execution of the projects, the effective use of allocated funds and the extent to which local communities benefit from the planned infrastructure and livelihood initiatives.
