Left Front demands master plan to develop Sundarbans
By IANSSunday, October 24, 2010
KOLKATA - West Bengal’s ruling Left Front chairman Biman Bose Sunday accused the central government of failing to do enough for development of the state’s Sundarbans region and demanded a master plan in coordination with Bangladesh for developing the world’s largest mango-grove forest.
“The central government has not done enough for the development of the Sundarbans. Even after the Sundarbans was declared as a world heritage site, the central government has not done enough,” Bose said here.
Sundarbans is the largest single block of mangrove forest in the world. While 60 percent of the Sundarbans is in Bangladesh, the rest lies in West Bengal.
The Indian part of the Sundarbans is located in the South 24-Paraganas district and North 24-Parganas district.
“A master plan in consultation with the Bangladesh government should be made for the development of this region,” Bose said, adding that the Left Front would undertake a padyatra (foot march) programme covering the islands of the Sundarbans and culminating in Kolkata next month.
