The East Midnapore district magistrate on Tuesday ordered the installation of complaint boxes throughout the tourist town of Digha in the wake of a string of complaints and incidents of fleecing and opportunistic pricing by restaurants and hotels.

During a visit to Digha last week, district magistrate Purnendu Kumar Maji interacted with tourists to gauge the prevailing tourist sentiment on holiday commerce in Digha.

“A consensus was drawn that prices seemed variable at various places. The DM thought this needed to be addressed,” said a source, adding that most tourist complaints came from residents of Calcutta touring the seaside town for decades.

“The quality of food has dropped steeply and prices have gone sky high,” said one Behala resident of Calcutta.

Digha Shankarpur Development Authority (DSDA) executive officer Manas Kumar Mandal was sent to investigate the grounds of a hotel after receiving a complaint last week, prompting the DM’s visit.

The district magistrate directed the DSDA to make arrangements to install complaint boxes in various parts of the tourist town.

“We don’t want anyone to come back with a bad experience when they come to Digha. If anyone has any complaints or suggestions, there will be complaint boxes in different places...,” said Maji.

After the new government came to the state in 2011, Digha was revamped to attract tourists. There are several Biswa Bangla parks along the seashore. “Dheu Sagar” open stage in New Digha hosts cultural events every evening.

Mandal said: “There have been several new projects in Digha in the last 10 years but the number of tourists has also increased. Like Puri, the construction of Jagannath temple started in Digha. If this temple is inaugurated, there will be no place for tourists to step foot in Digha. The district magistrate has warned that taking advantage of this crowd, tourists should not be cheated. Arrangements will be made to install complaint boxes at prominent locations from DSDA soon.”

Tourists have welcomed this step. Marriage officer Jyotsna Mahato, a resident of Jhargram, who came to visit Digha with her family, said: “Some experiences were bitter when I came to visit Digha. Sometimes I have had to pay more hotel rent or eat stale food. So, if there is a complaint box on the way back to the beach, along with a mobile number to complain in that box, it will be easier for tourists like me to flag complaints.”

According to the DSDA, hotels or eateries will be warned first after receiving complaints from tourists.

“Once we receive the complaints, a probe will be initiated. If found guilty, the accused will be asked to redress the complaints. Legal action will be taken for repeated complaints,” a DSDA official said.