Midnapore/Kolkata: CM Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday announced an allocation of Rs 1,200 crore in the current financial year for the Ghatal Master Plan, aimed at providing a permanent solution to recurrent flooding and river erosion in the region.“We will allocate Rs 1,200 crore for the Ghatal Master Plan this financial year. The Centre will provide 50 per cent of the funds and the state govt will bear the remaining costs,” Adhikari said after paying tribute to Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at his birthplace, Birsingha, on his 206th birth anniversary.Adhikari directed officials and local MLAs to expedite the flood mitigation project and complete a substantial part of the work by June 2027. He said a portion of the funds would come from the disaster management department.The announcement followed an aerial survey of flood-hit areas around Ghatal, including low-lying areas near Mansuka. Adhikari also announced Rs 1.80 lakh for each family living in kutcha houses affected by the floods. The list will include houses made of tiles, asbestos, tin or thatch, with district magistrates asked to prepare it with inputs from BDOs, local MLAs and police.He directed officials to organise camps for the Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme to enrol farmers whose paddy, vegetables and betel-leaf plantations were damaged by inundation. Compensation will be subject to assessment and the scheme’s provisions.The master plan covers 11 blocks and five municipalities across East and West Midnapore, spanning five assembly and three Lok Sabha constituencies. It covers around 1,659 sq km and is expected to benefit nearly 10 lakh people.Adhikari also said land-related hurdles for the proposed Panskura-Irhpala railway link had been cleared.He announced plans to develop Birsingha as a major destination for visitors and researchers, with a residential hostel and special cottages for researchers and writers working on Vidyasagar, subject to land availability.
