States » EastPosted at: Oct 24 2026 7:47PM


WB: Kakdwip to be carved out as separate district, announces Suvendu

Kolkata, Oct 24 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced today that the Kakdwip subdivision in South 24 Parganas would be carved out to form a separate district, while outlining a plan to bring all the islands of the Sundarbans under a unified development framework to improve living conditions and accelerate the delivery of administrative services to people in the remote region.
Addressing a public service delivery programme organised by the Sundarbans Affairs department at Kakdwip Stadium in South 24 Parganas on Saturday, Adhikari said the proposed district would make administration more accessible and efficient.
The Kakdwip subdivision currently comprises four blocks — Kakdwip, Namkhana, Patharpratima and Sagar.
“The process of administrative reorganisation might take some time but we are committed to giving Kakdwip the status of a full-fledged district,” Adhikari said.
“Improved connectivity and infrastructure across the Sundarbans islands will be central to the plan,” he added.
Adhikari also announced a series of development initiatives for South 24 Parganas and accused the previous government of failing to utilise development funds properly.
The chief minister also directed the South 24 Parganas district magistrate and the Kakdwip sub-divisional officer to expedite the issuance of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to all eligible refugees.
“Distinguish refugees from infiltrators. People who had fled Bangladesh after losing everything to protect their lives and religion should not be described as infiltrators but recognised as refugees,” he said.
He instructed the district magistrate and the SDO to ensure that all eligible applicants received their CAA certificates before his proposed visit to Sagar Island after December 10.
He is also scheduled to visit the island again on January 10 to review preparations for the Gangasagar Mela.
Adhikari asked the state home secretary to personally monitor the process and ensure that there were no delays in issuing the certificates.
The chief minister alleged that a substantial portion of the money allocated for development had been misappropriated by leaders of the then ruling party.
Citing budgetary figures, he claimed that the previous government had allocated Rs 600 crore for the 2025-26 financial year but carried out work worth only Rs 200 crore, alleging that 80% of the amount had been siphoned off.
“The present government has made a special allocation of Rs 1,200 crore in its budget for the first eight months,” he said.
The chief minister said tenders for 553 projects had already been completed in the first phase and work on these projects would formally begin after the monsoon.
A further 2,650 projects would be taken up in the second phase, he added.
The government had also allocated Rs 100 crore to protect river embankments in the Sundarbans, Adhikari said, assuring that the long-awaited Muriganga bridge would be inaugurated by 2029.
He said eligible recipients would be able to apply for inclusion in the electoral rolls in January after receiving their citizenship certificates, adding that there would be no obstacles to the process.
UNI SAG RN
Tags: #WB: Kakdwip to be carved out as separate district# announces Suvendu
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