State will not demolish hotels in Mandarmani; hoteliers’ body moves HC

Kolkata: The state government will not demolish the 140 odd hotels at Mandarmani in East Midnapore immediately as directed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

According to Nabanna sources, the District Magistrate had given a demolition order for the hotels setting a deadline of November 20, following a 2022 order of NGT for alleged violation of coastal regulations.

It is learnt that the district administration acted without obtaining consent of the state top brass which annoyed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Akhil Giri, MLA of Ramnagar met Banerjee on Tuesday and informed her of the orders issued by the district magistrate.

“She (the Chief Minister) has told me that the top brass of Nabanna have not been consulted before issuing demolition orders. She clarified that the state is against such pulling down of hotels and directed me to hold a meeting with the hoteliers’ association and communicate the government’s stand to them. I have acted accordingly,” he added.

A senior official of Nabanna said that the Chief Secretary will hold a meeting with the hoteliers’ association in Mandarmani and then take a decision. The hoteliers’ association in Mandarmani has already moved the Calcutta High Court on Monday seeking a stay on the East Midnapore district magistrate’s order. “These hotels in Mandarmani were built over the past 40 years with permission from the district administration. Suddenly, the order to demolish our constructions has been a bolt from the blue for us. We have a business worth Rs 1000 crore through these hotels. So, we have moved Calcutta High Court seeking a stay and urging the judiciary to consider the matter with a humanitarian outlook,” said a member of Mandarmani Hoteliers’ association.There are around 300 hotels and resorts in Mandarmani, with seaside accommodations being the main attraction for thousands of tourists, especially on weekends.