Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday expressed her displeasure over the East Midnapore district magistrate’s order that had set a November 20 deadline to demolish 140 hotels for allegedly violating coastal zone regulations in Mandarmani.

“The chief minister was stunned by the order issued by the East Midnapore district magistrate. She told senior officials that she and the chief secretary were kept in the dark while issuing the order. She made it clear that no construction would be bulldozed in Mandarmani,” a senior government official said at Nabanna on Tuesday.

Sources said that as soon as the chief minister came to know about the order, a message was sent to the district authorities in East Midnapore. The authorities were informed about the chief minister’s stance and ordered not to initiate any further move.

The district magistrate of East Midnapore, Purnendu Maji, issued the order on November 11 to demolish the hotels allegedly constructed near the seashore violating coastal zone regulations, citing a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order of 2022.

Hotels line the seashore at Mandarmani in East Midnapore. Kanishka Maity

In his order, Maji made that if owners of hotels, resorts and homestays, built in violation of coastal regulations in Mandarmani, did not demolish the illegal constructions within November 20, legal action would be taken against them.

The order sparked tension in the area as thousands of people depend on these hotels and resorts for their livelihood.

Considering the impact, the Mandarmani Hoteliers’ Association moved Calcutta High Court on Monday seeking a stay on Maji's order.

“It is expected that the matter would be heard in Calcutta High Court within this week.... The court will decide if the demolition order will be stayed. But the chief minister's intervention has ensured that no action will be taken against the hotels after November 20,” said a senior government official.

President of Mandarmani Hoteliers’ Association, Mamrez Ali, said they had requested the administration to reconsider the decision to demolish 140 hotels.

“We had moved Calcutta High Court against the order. But at the same time, we urged the administration to reconsider the order. We are happy that the chief minister has come forward and asked authorities to withhold the demolition order,” said Ali.

Hotel owners in Mandarmani said the constructions in question were built over the past three decades after district authorities had granted permission.

“The hotel business in Mandarmani has flourished to about ₹1,000 crore and the entire tourism industry had come under a shadow after the demolition order,” said a hotel owner.

On May 2, 2022, the NGT ordered the demolition of illegal construction in Mandarmani, which is located about 170km from Calcutta and emerged as a popular weekend destination over the past few years, after the tribunal found that these hotels were constructed by violating coastal regulations causing harm to the coastal and marine ecology.

“However, the order could not be implemented in 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.... This month, the district authorities had taken the initiative to implement the tribunal's order. But the initiative has come to a halt as the chief minister did not like the move,” said a source.

Sources aware of the development said Mamata did not want to affect the livelihood of thousands of people who depend directly and indirectly on the Mandarmani hotels ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

Mandarmani is in East Midnapore district, the home turf of the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, a source pointed out.

"The TMC is fighting to regain its lost foothold in the area. That is why the chief minister does not want to give the BJP a chance to add to the ruling party’s discomfort there and asked authorities to go slow on the issue,” the source said.