By Firstdespatch Desk Nov 27, 2024
Agartala, Nov 27 (FD) The Youth Tipra Federation (YTF), the youth organization of Tipra Motha, an ally of the ruling BJP on Wednesday protested against Tripura Government's decision to demolish Puspabanta Palace, constructed by erstwhile Manikya king Birchandra Kishore Debbarman for construction of a five star hotel.
A group of volunteers, including men and women today organized a procession from Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan and submitted a
memorandum to the District Magistrate (DM), Dr Vishal Kumar Singh and demanded for stopping implementation of the memorandum signed recently.
They pleaded why a historically important building would be demolished to make space for a five star hotel.
“We have come to know from social media that the state government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Taj group for construction of a hotel by demolishing the old structures, which is not acceptable. If land is required for any hotel, the government of Tripura will arrange for it, but the historic place would remain intact”, YTF President, Suraj Debbarma said.
He further said, the people of the state have a lot of emotions involved with this palace and the government should not do anything
which hurts the people.
Earlier, the state government had decided to develop the century old palace as a national-level museum and cultural centre, built by
Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya, in 1917 by Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya, who himself was a painter and used the picturesque palatial home as a studio. It also doubled up as a guest house of the Manikya kings.
Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who had close ties with the royal family, visited Tripura seven times. During his last visit to the
state in 1926, Tagore stayed at the Pushpabanta Palace.
Tagore’s 80th birthday was celebrated here by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya during a programme in May 1941, experts said.
After the princely state merged with the Indian union in 1949, the 4.31-acre palace was converted into the chief commissioner’s bungalow and then the Raj Bhavan till 2018. The Raj Bhavan was finally shifted to a new building in 2018. FD JK