No bulldozer at Mandarmoni, don’t jeopardise tourism: Mamata to admin – ET TravelWorld

The state has decided not to bulldoze 140 hotels at Mandarmani, one of the top sea beaches in Bengal known to be a weekend destination. Located around 180 km from Kolkata, it is considered the ideal outing destination during the winter months. These 140 hotels violated environmental norms, and the National Green Tribunal asked for pulling down these hotels as they are located close to the sea, an official said.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, during a meeting at Nabanna on Tuesday, said there would be no demolition of the hotels at Mandarmani as this would disturb the tourist flow to Mandarmani in winter and affect the livelihood of the workers as well.

The CM asked the chief secretary, Manoj Pant, to intervene as the livelihood of several thousand people would be affected and tourism could be jeopardised at Mandarmani.

The CM was peeved as the district officials did not keep Nabanna in the loop while planning to raze the 140 hotels. She made it clear that not a single hotel would be razed as she was against any kind of demolition and warned the district officials not to bulldoze the hotels. On Tuesday, Trinamool MLA of Ramnagar, Akhil Giri, informed the CM about the plan to raze the hotels for flouting the NGT norms, for which the CM expressed her concerns. Giri said the CM was peeved at the decision of the district officials for not consulting even the chief secretary.

Earlier on Nov 11, the DM of East Midnapore, Purnendu Maji, directed the demolition of these 140 hotels for flouting the coastal regulation zone rules meant to protect coasts following a verdict of the NGT. If they were not demolished, then legal action would be initiated, the notice stated.

Already, the hotel owners have moved Calcutta High Court, said Ashok Adak, secretary of Mandarmani Hoteliers Association Dadanpatrabar. The matter would be heard on Friday, he said. According to him, there are 225 hotels in Mandarmani.

A hotelier asked why the local administration sat quiet when the hotels were built close to the sea flouting norms. An official said that earlier on May 2, 2022, the NGT ordered demolition of illegal constructions in Mandarmani, as these hotels and resorts were built violating coastal regulations.

Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh said, “These permissions were given during the Left tenure. Now it has become a thriving economy. It isn’t about the hotels anymore, but people being employed. Any hurried demolition will strike a death knell for this economy and render thousands jobless. The state has taken a decision, and whatever is legally necessary shall be done. To be legally right, one cannot destroy lives and livelihoods suddenly.”