The West Bengal government will spend Rs 50 crore per year to check erosion along the river banks in Malda and Murshidabad districts, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced this in Malda on Thursday afternoon.

She addressed the administrative review meeting of Malda and Murshidabad districts today. Chief secretary, home secretary, district magistrates and superintendents of police of the two districts were present at the meeting.

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The departmental secretaries, principal secretaries and additional chief secretaries joined the meeting virtually. The state government had already spent Rs 1,000 crore in five years to prevent erosion.

Miss Banerjee said the contractors, who would supply boulders that will be used to check erosion, will have to give a guarantee. “The contractors who supply the boulders will have to maintain them for 20 years so that no inferior quality material is supplied.

If they refuse to accept this, then don’t give them work,” she instructed. Miss Banerjee said despite repeated requests the Centre was not releasing funds to check erosion of the river.

“The Ghatal master plan and Kapaleshwari and Keleghai master plan are yet to get clearance from the Centre and we have to spend money,” she said. She asked the chief secretary HK Dwivedi to get in touch with Niti Ayog to raise the issue.”

The West Bengal government distributed 80 lakh seeds of mangoes among farmers in Malda and three varieties of the fruit have already received GI tags. More than 4.5 lakh people are involved in the cultivation of this fruit.

She urged the zilla parishad functionaries to “develop a special variety of sweet, where the mango will be stuffed with curd. People will like this and you can sell it through the stalls and outlets of the state government.”

In Malda, a silk park will be set up along with a carpet cluster. The readymade garment cluster has come up where school dresses are being made and 15,000 people have got employment. The representatives of various chambers of commerce thanked Miss Banerjee for setting up industrial parks that are employment-friendly.