The Sunderabans Affairs Minister Abdur Rejjak Molla is hopeful that by March next year, all the ongoing schemes will be completed.

Of the 19 Panchayat Samitis areas in the Sunderbans, Canning No. 1, Canning No. 2, Basanti, Gosaba, Patharpratima, Namkhana, Sagar, Kakdwip, Joynagar No. 2, Joynagar No. 1, Kultali, Mathurapur No. 1, Mathurapur No. 2 --- all these 13 panchayat samitis area in South 24 Parganas district. Haroa, Namkhana, Hingalganj, Hasnabad, Sandeshkali No. 1 and Sandeshkhali No. 2 are in North 24 Parganas district.

As one goes further south in the area, numerous rivers appear on the landscape throwing before the visitors, the problem of communications. Separation of the landmass by rivers poses problem of electrification of villages. In some cases rivers are so big and wide that power lines cannot be strung. With heavy monsoon in one year, saline water gushes into cropped fields breaching embankments even. So making provision for irrigation is a difficult task no doubt. Because of the rivers, making arrangement for movement of modern transport vehicles across these rivers is an onerous job. Even providing drinking water to the villagers with least hassle requires efficient planning. On behalf of CPI (M), demands have been made too for development of the area. These demands have been put forward to both the State and Central governments.

The Front government in the last 22 years have made progress in all fields of development activity but the task is stupendous. Several schemes have already been implemented.

Since the people in the area are mostly dependent on farming, emphasis has been laid on multiple cropping a year. Mono-crop area is being used to grow vegetables, fruits on a long-terms basis now. For the agricultural labour an alternative employment has been arranged during the lean months. Once muliple-croppring pattern takes root in the islands, irrigation to urban areas will be curbed.

Since there is difficulty in supplying power to the people in the distant areas an alternative source of power, that is-solar power is being provided to the people of the Sagar Island. Wherever possible thermal power lines are being strung to draw power from the mainland.

In Haroa, Minakh and Hingalganj and Canning 2, of course, the State Electricity Board has been implementing a scheme for supply of power at an estimated cost of Rs. 51 million. Work on the State Electricity Board sub-station at Haroa has already been completed. Work on the three other sub-stations is progressing as scheduled.

The funds for building the sub-stations have been received from the tenth Finance Commission and the SEB has been asked to execute the power supply schemes. The SEB hopes that by March next year power will be supplied to thousands of additional households in the Sunderbans area.

Road-laying is going on apace in all the 19 panchayat areas in the Sunderbans. The Sunderbans Development Authority has taken up the work of laying 160 kms of road at an estimated expenditure of Rs. 130 million. In some areas, besides the broad roads, smaller roads with bricks on the surface are being extended, deep inside the villages. The total length of these brick-laid roads will come up to 1100 kms. All roadwork is also to be completed by March 2000 A.D. In addition to this a bridge on the river Bidyadhari is being built jointly by the P.W. Department and the Zilla Parishad and the Sunderbans Development Authority at a cost of Rs. 60 million. The three agencies will provided Rs. 20 million each for the purpose. Once the bridge on the Bidyadhari is complete, Barachapa will have a direct link with Lauhati. A long road for connecting Jamtotal in Kultali Block to Petkulchand is also being laied. For this purpose, the P.W. Department, Sunderbans Development Authority and the Zilla Parishad will contribute Rs. 0.80 million. With the road and the bridge being complete in the near furture, parts of the Sunderbans area will be opened for increased economic activities with Calcutta. Besides this, 63 river jetties have been commissioned in the Sunderabns area upto 1997-98. The commissioning of a few more jetties is also on the anvil.

For supply of drinking water a scheme is being implemented at a cost of Rs. 4 million. The work has already started in some places too. Piped water will be supplied in Pathankhali in Gosaba, Sonakhali in Basanti Chaital in Minakha and in Hasnabad. The Public Health Department of the State Government is also aiding the Sunderbans Development Authority in the water supply project.