CM sets up expert panel for re-beautification work of Digha

KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed setting up of an expert committee and placed Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay as the head of the Digha Shankarpur Development Authority (DSDA) to undertake re-beautification work of the state's favourite sea-side tourist destination that was badly affected by the cyclone Yaas.

Digha was given a complete new-look with a comprehensive programme for its beautification and improvement of necessary infrastructure as a tourist destination in the past 10 years under the direct supervision of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

While holding an administrative meeting with the officer of the local administration, Banerjee said: "See Digha is a place where people visit as tourists. So we have to reconstruct it in a proper way. Since a major devastation has taken place in Digha and I am giving the responsibility to the Chief Secretary to head Digha Shankarpur Development Authority."

"I consider that a key person of the government should head the body for seamless execution of the necessary tasks. A new plan of action has to be framed to develop a complete new set up," she said that the other members will continue to function as usual.

Later, the Chief Secretary said that the expert committee will also look into the provisions of ecological sustainable methods of avoiding erosion in the coastline.

Expressing her resentment again as the three bridges in Digha is yet to be completed by the state Irrigation department, Banerjee came to know that from the department's superintendent engineer of western circle II at Tamluk that there are 12 km sea-dykes at Digha. The guardwalls were heavily damaged and the department would start the reconstruction work at the earliest following the guidelines of the state Finance department.

Banerjee also directed the concerned officer of the state Public works Department to repair the roads at the earliest at the tourist destination.

It needs a mention that Banerjee had came down heavily on officers of the state Irrigation and Waterways department as embankments at Digha had washed away and beautification work was also damaged though it was constructed just two and a half years ago.It was Mamata Banerjee who first took up a comprehensive plan for Digha's development. A convention centre has come up where business meetings are being held.It was Banerjee's government only that turned the Digha coast to be a wi-fi zone and a series of steps were taken to attract tourist to the sea-side tourist destination.