Joy ride: Tourists enjoy a boat ride in the Sunderbans. (Reuters)

B.N. Sen: The Sunderbans have immense potential as an international tourist spot. Why it is still underdeveloped in comparison to other international tourist hubs and doesn’t have much facilities for tourists?

I agree that the Sunderbans has the ability to attract large number of domestic as well as foreign tourists. But I don’t agree that there is lack of initiative on the part of the zilla parishad or the state government. The state tourism department and the Sunderbans Development Board are taking up schemes to attract more tourists.

But the tourism sector is not my only concern. Many villages don’t have proper roads, hospitals, health centres and schools. I have to think about these facilities too. Tourism is a significant part of our development plan but it is not the only project. We need a balanced development plan for a model district.