By TC News Desk
Agartala, 4th December 2024: Over 100 members of the Twipra Women Federation (TWF), the women’s wing of the Tipra Motha party, staged a protest on Wednesday at the Circuit House in Agartala. The activists demanded that the state government reconsider its decision to lease the historic Puspabanta Palace to the Taj Group for conversion into a five-star hotel.
The Tipra Motha party is currently in alliance with the BJP-led state government, but TWF President Manihar Debbarma criticized the move, saying it disregards the sentiments of the indigenous people.
“If the government wants to bring in a Taj Hotel, there are plenty of other locations in Agartala or elsewhere in the state,” Debbarma said. “Why must it be the Puspabanta Palace? We would welcome a library or museum in its place, but turning it into a hotel would erase its historical significance. Even the name of the palace will be lost. We cannot accept this.”
Chairman of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), Jagadish Debbarma, also voiced his opposition to the plan. He emphasized that the decision would deeply hurt the cultural and historical sentiments of the people.
“The Puspabanta Palace is a symbol of our heritage. Handing it over to the Taj Group for a hotel project is unacceptable. We urge the state government to reconsider this decision. Today’s protest by the TWF is just the beginning; the entire Tipra Motha party will soon launch a larger movement against this proposal,” he said.
The state government’s plan to involve a corporate group in developing the historic site has sparked significant public backlash, with demands for alternative development projects that preserve the palace’s historical integrity.
