Claiming that narcotics are being smuggled into India from neighbouring Bangladesh through riverine routes, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday said his government was working towards eliminating drug smuggling in the state.Speaking at an event in Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district’s deltaic Sunderbans area, the chief minister said, “I will speak of nesha mukti (drug-deaddiction). Bangladesh is just by the side. Ganja and heroin are coming through riverine routes from Bangladesh. You all have to keep an eye on that. We will have to stop that. You will have to stay unified.”He also flagged alleged illegal infiltration, claiming the area’s demography has changed. “Earlier, this area was the land of Pramaniks and Sardars. But demography here has changed. I will change it back. Keep an eye on illegal infiltration,” Adhikari added.He also promised to carve out Kakdwip as a separate district. “South 24 Parganas is a big district. Soon, Kakdwip will become a separate district, and we will make Suderbans a model area where all the islands will be linked,” the chief minister added.Accusing the previous TMC government of misleading people about the proposed bridge over the Muriganga river, the chief minister said, “The previous government lied. There was no land acquisition. There was no detailed project report. I promise by 2029, we will construct the bridge. I will come for inauguration.”“You know what the previous government did. The Sundarbans was neglected,” he said and slammed the previous dispensation over corruption charges.He claimed that works worth only about Rs 200 crore were carried out in the 2025-26 financial year against an allocation of Rs 600 crore, and that 80 per cent of the fund was “siphoned off”.Story continues below this adAdhikari said those who looted Awas Yojana funds and relief materials after the Amphan cyclone and committed atrocities after the 2021 Assembly elections would not be spared.Adhikari asserted that his government has made a special allocation of Rs 1,200 crore in the budget to serve around 1.24 lakh people in the region. “Tenders have been floated for 553 works in the first phase. Work on all these projects will commence soon,” he said, adding that 2,649 projects will be taken up in the second phase.Adhikari said 1,169 road projects worth Rs 1,406.34 crore have been planned, along with drainage works and the construction of 110 culverts.He said the government would build five concrete jetties and a RoRo-cum-LCT jetty to improve connectivity to remote islands in the Sundarbans region.Story continues below this adAdhikari said Rs 100 crore has also been earmarked for electric-powered boats to reduce the carbon footprint of tourism in the region.Asserting to elevate the Gangasagar Mela to an “international standard”, Adhikari said he would visit Sagar Island after December 10 to oversee the progress of work for annual religious fair.On the social sector, he said Rs 17 crore has been set aside for fisheries, and 1,931 people are being trained in crab fattening. In agriculture, 13,877 farmers will get battery-operated sprayers to raise farm productivity, he said.He also announced that people in the state will soon get houses under the PM Awas Yojana and benefits of other Central schemes.Story continues below this adAdhikari said that while he was in Opposition, he was shown black flags and faced stone-pelting when he visited the area. “But today some of those people welcomed me and said they were waiting for me,” Adhikari said.With PTI inputs