- विज्ञापन -
Kolkata: A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court has temporarily halted a notification from the District Magistrate concerning the demolition of 140 hotels, resorts, and lodges in the popular coastal destination of Mandarmani, located in East Midnapore district, West Bengal. The interim stay, ordered by Justice Amrita Sinha, will remain in effect until December 13, during which the District Magistrate is required to submit a detailed report on the situation to the court. The next hearing is scheduled for December 10.
The National Green Tribunal had previously mandated the demolition of these establishments in 2022 due to violations of regulations set by the Coastal Regulated Zone Management Authority, with a deadline for demolition set for November 20 of this year. Following this directive, the District Magistrate issued a notification to proceed with the demolitions. However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee intervened on February 19, the day before the deadline, stating that the notification was issued without proper consultation with higher authorities, including the Chief Secretary, Manoj Pant. The Chief Minister expressed her disapproval of the “bulldozer culture” seen in other states like Uttar Pradesh and was concerned about the unilateral decision taken by the district administration.
In response, the hotel, resort, and lodge owners contested the demolition notification in the Calcutta High Court. The interim stay was granted in light of their petition. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress party has criticized the previous Left Front government for the situation, claiming it failed to adhere to proper protocols, and has emphasized that demolishing such a large number of establishments would lead to significant financial losses for the owners and result in job losses for many workers in the sector.
