Additional chief secretary (fisheries) Atri Bhattacharya, accompanied by a survey team, visited East Midnapore’s Nayachar island on Wednesday with the aim of restructuring the local economy and reclaiming several purportedly illegal fisheries that have mushroomed in the area.

The 18km-long and 4km -wide island was in the news during the 2007 Nandigram land agitations after then Left Front’s government’s plan to build a chemicals hub at Nayachar had run into resistance from the then Opposition, led by Trinamul supremo Mamata Banerjee.

“There was a plan to build a chemical plant at Nayachar during the CPM reign in 2006, but it got thwarted for obvious reasons the next year and was largely forgotten by the government,” said a source with the survey team, which included East Midnapore district magistrate Purnendu Majhi.

“What happened in the following years was a takeover of sorts by a de facto mafia that set up illegal fisheries all around with the help of excavator machines,” the source added.

On Wednesday, the members of the survey team made several informal announcements while gauging the area’s suitability for projects relating to eco-tourism, solar power and commercial fishing.

“All of these (ventures) will materialise pending approval from (state secretariat) Nabanna,” explained a source, adding that Wednesday’s survey had ostensibly been prompted by a recent communication from Ramnagar MLA and fisheries minister Akhil Giri to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, proposing a fishing hub in Nayachar.
“We have come here to see what else can be done, including fishing hubs, eco-tourism, solar energy. We will go back and report to the chief secretary,” said additional chief secretary (fisheries) Bhattacharya on Wednesday.

Members of his team said that out of “several thousand” fisheries in the area, only 13 appeared to be licensed cooperatives given out to fishermen from Haldia, Nandakumar, Sutahata and Nandigram..
Bhattacharya also interacted with a handful of residents of Nayachar.

“There is no health centre. Health workers are not sent here even once a month. The administration has not provided us drinking water. A large part of the island is being encroached upon because of the indifference of the district administration,” one resident was heard telling Bhattacharya.

Contacted, MLA Giri said he had been apprised of Wednesday’s survey.
He also confirmed his communication with the chief minister over a fishing hub in Nayachar.