AGARTALA, August 6 (TIWN): Finally the Tripura’s 22 years stint in power the Left front government despite all odds managed to get the 85 years old palace in Tripura in shrinking lake, Neer Mahal, the lone lake palace in eastern India. The Tripura High Court on its interim order had stayed the verdict of the lower court which on its historical verdict announced Tripura Neer Mahal situated at Rudrasagar Lake to be in the name of royal family from now and has asked the state govt. here to hand over its tourist place of the palace to the royal family according to the 1949 Merger Act. However, PWD Minister Badal Chowdhury welcoming the recent decision of the HC said, “The state government challenging the verdict of the lower had produced all the documents in the name of Neer Mahal with the HC and the court finally accepted our appeal.”Minister said the state government had spent crores of money for the ongoing retrofitting work of the water palace at Rudrasagar. The 85 years old palace in Tripura in shrinking lake to get new look very soon, he said. Adding to that he said that the state government had also planned to improve the road link in and around the Rudrasagar lake so that the tourists can take a view of the palace in the lake.

Chowdhury said, “The Neermahal was handed over to the Marxist government in 1974 by the then Maharaja Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya.” But after the year 2006 there erupted a major change among the royal families and also lots of changes has come in the gap from 1974 to 2006, Chowdhury told to reporters.

Despite the state Left front government on its ambitious plan had decided to renovate the palace with an aim to attract tourists as it is one of the historical stain in Tripura, Bibhu Devi served a notice to the government to hand over the Neermahal and Rudrasagar as they failed to take proper care of these properties.

As the government claimed these as their own properties and did not pay any paid attention to the notice, Bibhu Devi filed a case in Civil Court in 2008.

However later hearing the case the lower division court recently ordered the hand over the land to the royal family at the earliest. The court also asked the state government to pay a compensation of Rs. 25 lakhs annually with 6 per cent interest since 1974.

Experts assume that the water is being contaminated as the renovation work has got the only water way to carry the goods and materials for the retrofitting work. The environmentalists however believe that the rapid growth of settlements and extension of agricultural activities played a vital role in the shrinking of the lake. 

It is believed that agriculture can go on without disturbing the eco-cycle, if farmers use bio fertilizers.

The High Court’s Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Subhasish Talapatra maintained status quo of Neermahal and Rudrasagar Lake as well. “Neermahal will now remain as it is until further orders are passed by the Court. It will also remain open to tourists,” said lawyer.