West Bengal Plans Rs 500 Crore Tourism Infrastructure Upgrade

PTI, September 4, 2026, Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday accused successive governments of failing to protect the state's natural resources and said this had affected its tourism growth.

Unveiling the new logo of the state tourism department at a programme here, Adhikari said Rs 500 crore had been allocated to overhaul tourism infrastructure to attract domestic and foreign tourists.

Adhikari was accompanied by Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh and Industry Minister Tapas Roy at the programme held at Dhana Dhanya Auditorium.

"Can't imagine how the biodiversity of the Sunderbans could not be protected by the earlier regime. We will plant 20 lakh mangroves to protect the marshland and save the area from natural disasters and showcase Sunderbans as a unique destination for tourists while saving the rich biodiversity," he said.

Accusing the earlier TMC and Left Front regimes of having "destroyed the natural resources of West Bengal", he said the state would now seek to regain its position as a leading tourism destination.

"Other states left us behind in the number of inbound tourists, but not any more. With the help of the Centre, Bengal will regain its pre-eminence in tourism," he said.

Adhikari said tourist lodges in Bakkhali, Terai, Dooars, Lataguri, Darjeeling, Alipurduar and Chalsa, among other places, were being renovated.

He also said vessel connectivity from Babughat to Gangasagar would be introduced in the future after exploring its feasibility.