Calcutta, Aug. 17: The traditional tourists’ route to the Sunderbans via Sajnekhali is set to change with the government deciding to promote river island Jharkhali as the gateway to the mangrove forest.

A bridge across the Vidyadhari connects Jharkhali with the mainland. So, the island 130km from Calcutta is directly accessible by road.

Land and land reforms minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah, Sunderbans development minister Kanti Ganguly and forest minister Ananta Roy met this afternoon to finalise plans that include building hotels and resorts.

“We’ll not depend on one big promoter this time. Tenders will be issued seeking joint venture partners,” Ganguly said.

The government had signed a deal with Sahara three years ago to promote a grand tourism project in the Hooghly delta. But the investor backed out later.

Consultant Mackintosh Burn has prepared a draft proposal, which splits the island into four zones reserved for restaurants, food courts, a Sunerbans theme museum and a convention centre.

Ganguly said a study would be conducted to find out the amount of land available for the project. Several refugee families had settled on the is- land during chief minister B.C. Roy’s tenure.

Ganguly’s department will get infrastructure such as roads and power supply ready.