Kolkata, Nov 19 (IANS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday, stalled a decision by a district administration in the state to demolish hotels, resorts and lodges located at the seaside at the popular coastal tourist hub of Mandarmani in East Midnapore district.

The district administration in East Midnapore district has recently issued an order for demolition for as many as 140 hotels, resorts and lodges at Mandarmani by November 20 according to the 2022 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordering for the same.

The NGT observed that these hotels, resorts and lodges were set up in violation of the provisions of the Coastal Regulated Zone Management Authority.

However, just a day before the deadline for the demotion order by the district administration, the same has been stalled by the Chief Minister.

State secretariat sources said that when the matter was brought to the notice of the Chief Minister she was stunned at such an order which was reportedly passed by the district administration without consulting the Chief Secretary Manoj Pant.

“The Chief Minister clearly said that she would not allow any sort of ‘bulldozer culture’ that is prevalent in Uttar Pradesh. She also expressed anguish on how the district administration passes the order without consulting the higher authorities, especially the Chief Secretary,” said a senior official from the Chief Minister’s secretariat.

However, it is not yet clear whether any fresh instruction to the district administration in East Midnapore in the matter had gone from the state secretariat or not.

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said that the previous Left Front government was responsible for the current fiasco by not following proper protocols in the matter.

“Now if these establishments are demolished not only their owners will face tremendous losses, but thousands of employees there will become unemployed. Those running businesses as the satellites of these establishments will also be affected. The current state administration always operates with a human face,” he said.