West Bengal’s fishing coast is about to change shape. On Monday, 9 November 2026, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a plan to turn the 27-km coastline of Purba Medinipur district — from Talpati to Udaypur — into a cluster of tourist destinations, with a ₹5 lakh subsidy for new homestays, a helicopter service to Digha, and a set of safety measures aimed squarely at the fishing communities who live and work along that shore.
The announcement, made at an event in the coastal town of Digha, matters to fishers for a reason that goes beyond tourism. Alongside the homestays and the helicopter, the Chief Minister promised a high-frequency control room to stay in touch with fishing communities during cyclones, a 50-member police disaster cell by March 2027, and — in a line that stood out — that three of the coastal spots, Shankarpur, Soula and Petuaghat, would be developed primarily around the needs of fishing communities rather than tourism alone.
Here is what was announced, what it means for fishing families, and what is still only a promise — because the homestay subsidy has no application form or enrolment portal yet, and nobody should pay anyone who claims to enrol them in it.
The announcement at a glance
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Coastline covered | 27 km, Talpati to Udaypur, Purba Medinipur district |
| Announced by | Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, at Digha, Monday 9 November 2026 |
| Homestay subsidy | ₹5 lakh for new homestays in designated tourist spots — four-room homestays, for eligible entrepreneurs |
| Helicopter service | To be operationalised for Digha |
| Fisher safety | High-frequency control room at the DSDA office in Digha; 50-member police disaster cell by March 2027; 25-member Arjun force extension unit in Digha |
| Coast protection | Two irrigation/erosion projects at Chandpur and Shankarpur, about ₹200 crore combined |
| Planning body | Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority (DSDA), jurisdiction recently extended to coastal areas, up to Petuaghat |
| Application status | Announced, not open — no form, portal or deadline published yet |
₹5 lakh for a homestay: what is actually on offer
The headline for coastal families is the homestay subsidy. New homestays in designated tourist spots will receive a subsidy of ₹5 lakh, the Chief Minister said, and The Statesman reported the condition attached to it: the subsidy is for eligible entrepreneurs setting up four-room homestays at the new tourist destinations. The announcement was made jointly with initiatives under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Centre’s flagship fisheries scheme.
That detail matters. A four-room homestay is a small, family-run enterprise — exactly the scale at which fishing families, who already own coastal land and know the sea, could enter tourism without selling out to big developers. The plan is explicitly aimed at creating jobs for local people and making family holidays affordable for middle- and lower-middle-income groups, so the demand it creates is for budget stays, home food and local guides — the things a fishing household can supply.
But be clear about the status: this is an announcement, not an open scheme. No application form, no designated-spot list, no eligibility document and no deadline had been published when the announcement was reported on 9 November 2026. The honest advice for any fishing family interested is to watch for the official notification from the DSDA or the state tourism department, and not to pay any agent or middleman who claims to secure a homestay subsidy now.
The tourism circuit: ten stops from Udaypur to Petuaghat
The 27-km stretch is only the core. The proposed tourism circuit named by the Chief Minister runs much further: Udaypur, Digha, Shankarpur, Tajpur, Mandarmani, Soula, Haripur, Boguran Jalpai, Gopalchak and Petuaghat. Development activities are to extend from Soula beach to Mandarmani and up to Petua, and the Marine Drive project is to be extended towards Petuaghat.
Other pieces of the package announced at Digha:
- Amarabati Park, Digha: beautification and revival of the closed snake park.
- Transport: helicopter services to Digha; CNG stations and charging infrastructure for electric buses; joint bus services by the transport and tourism departments connecting railway passengers to Mandarmani, Tajpur and Digha — and to the Chandaneswar Shiva temple in neighbouring Odisha.
- Tourist levy scrapped: the earlier practice of collecting ₹10 per tourist through hotel bills has been discontinued, described as an unnecessary burden on visitors.
- Deep-sea port: work has begun on a proposed deep-sea port at Dadanpatrabar, where the government holds around 1,700 acres of land belonging to a closed salt factory.
- Green cover: a programme to restore casuarina forests and increase mangrove plantations along the coast, linked with the rural employment programme.
The DSDA — constituted in 1993 as the Digha Development Authority and renamed after Shankarpur came under its jurisdiction — has been told to draw up a development roadmap in coordination with the tourism, forest, irrigation and waterways, PWD, environment and transport departments.
What fishers actually get: safety first, then fishing infrastructure
For fishing families, the most consequential part of the announcement is not the tourism at all. It is the safety package and the explicit promise that fishing comes first at three harbours.
Cyclone safety. A high-frequency communication control room will be set up at the DSDA office in Digha to maintain contact with fishing communities during emergencies. A 50-member special force of the state police will be deployed under a proposed disaster management cell by March 2027, and an additional 25-member extension unit of the Arjun force — currently deployed in Sagar, the hill areas and Kolkata — will also be stationed in Digha. For a coast that faces cyclones almost every year, a dedicated control room and a standing disaster cell are worth more than any tourism brochure.
Fishing before tourism at three spots. The Chief Minister said Shankarpur, Soula and Petuaghat should be developed primarily around the needs of fishing communities rather than tourism alone. His words, reported by The Statesman: “Tourism in Shankarpur is secondary. The interests of fishermen and the fishing harbour should receive greater priority.” He stressed cold storage facilities, improved arrangements at river mouths for fishing boats, better fish-sorting infrastructure and drying platforms for fish — and pointed to the dried-fish trade, noting that Junput supplies large quantities of dried fish to northeastern states including Assam and Tripura.
Coast protection worth ₹200 crore. Two irrigation projects to tackle serious coastal erosion at Chandpur and Shankarpur, with a combined estimated investment of around ₹200 crore, have been sanctioned in collaboration with the state irrigation minister and secretary. Erosion is an existential threat to fishing villages; a coastline that washes away takes homes, landing centres and drying yards with it.
Harbours under Sagarmala 2. The Chief Minister said steps were being taken under Sagarmala 2 to develop fishing harbours and jetties, after alleging that the previous government had not let West Bengal join the Centre’s Sagarmala 1 initiative — a claim about the past that this post reports as his statement, not as its own finding.
Why this matters beyond Bengal
West Bengal’s move fits a pattern visible across India’s coast: states are trying to pair tourism income with fishing livelihoods instead of letting one displace the other. The tension is real — in Chennai, fishing communities at Pattinapakkam are fighting a proposed Secretariat complex they say threatens their homes, boats and fish markets, and in Kerala, 300 fishing families relocated eight years ago under the Punargeham housing scheme are still waiting for official house numbers, which blocks their access to welfare benefits.
The Digha announcement is notable because it names the tension and picks a side, at least for Shankarpur, Soula and Petuaghat. Whether that promise survives the roadmap stage is the thing to watch. The test will be simple: when the DSDA publishes its plan, do the fishing harbour, cold storage and drying-platform works come before the hotels, or after them?
There is also a wider safety context. Kerala’s fisheries department recorded 1,607 accidents at sea over the last ten years, and the national Group Accident Insurance Scheme covers accidental death and disability — but not natural deaths, a gap Kerala moved to close with a separate announcement in September 2026. A cyclone control room and a disaster cell in Digha address the same problem from the prevention side: reaching fishers before the storm, not only compensating families after it.
What fishing families and homestay hopefuls should do now
- Do not pay anyone for enrolment. No application form, portal or deadline for the ₹5 lakh homestay subsidy had been published as of 9 November 2026. Anyone demanding money to secure it is not acting for the government.
- Watch the DSDA and state tourism department. The designated tourist spots, eligibility conditions and application process will come through official notifications. The DSDA office in Digha is the local point of contact.
- Get your fisheries documents in order. Keep your fisherman registration current and your identity documents updated — every fisheries benefit, from NFDP registration to insurance, runs on verified registration. NFDP registration is open year-round and is now mandatory for PM-MKSSY benefits.
- If you fish from Shankarpur, Soula or Petuaghat, track the harbour works. The promise of cold storage, fish-sorting and drying platforms is the part that changes daily earnings. Ask your local fisheries office when the DSDA roadmap is published.
- Know the safety net that already exists. The national Group Accident Insurance Scheme covers accidental death up to ₹5 lakh, permanent partial disability up to ₹2.5 lakh and hospitalisation up to ₹25,000 — the fisher pays nothing. Read how it works in our report on Kerala’s 1,607 sea accidents and Kerala’s move to cover natural deaths, and note the claim deadlines: intimation within 120 days of an accident, complete claim within 180 days.
- Small-scale fishers: your voice counts in the national plan. Consultations for India’s National Plan of Action for small-scale fisheries are under way — Andaman fishers used theirs to demand pay for every ban day. Bengal’s fishing communities should use the same process.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the homestay subsidy?
₹5 lakh for new homestays in designated tourist spots along the Purba Medinipur coast, announced 9 November 2026. The Statesman reported it applies to eligible entrepreneurs setting up four-room homestays.
Can I apply for the homestay subsidy now?
No. No application form, portal or deadline had been published when the announcement was reported. Wait for the official notification from the DSDA or the state tourism department.
Which places are in the tourism circuit?
Udaypur, Digha, Shankarpur, Tajpur, Mandarmani, Soula, Haripur, Boguran Jalpai, Gopalchak and Petuaghat, along the 27-km Talpati–Udaypur core stretch.
What safety measures were announced for fishermen?
A high-frequency control room at the DSDA office in Digha, a 50-member police disaster cell by March 2027, and a 25-member Arjun force extension unit stationed in Digha.
What about the ₹200 crore figure?
Two irrigation projects to tackle coastal erosion at Chandpur and Shankarpur, with a combined estimated investment of around ₹200 crore, sanctioned in collaboration with the state irrigation department.
Does the plan help fishers or only tourists?
The announcement says Shankarpur, Soula and Petuaghat will be developed primarily around fishing communities, with cold storage, fish-sorting and drying platforms prioritised. Whether that holds will be clear when the DSDA roadmap is published.
Sources: PTI via The Print (9 November 2026) and The Telegraph (9 November 2026) for the announcement, figures and quotes; The Statesman (9 November 2026) for the four-room homestay condition, the ₹200 crore erosion projects, the tourism circuit list, the fishing-first commitment and the Arjun force unit; ET Government (9 November 2026) for corroboration. All figures verified against these sources on 10 November 2026. The homestay subsidy is announced, not open — no application details had been published at the time of reporting.