Agartala Airport to be christened after last Maharaja of Tripura

A Correspondent

Agartala, July 4 : Solving a long standing demand, the Union Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gave approval to the proposal sent by the state government to rename the Agartala Airport after the name of the princely Tripura’s last King Bir Bikram Kishir Manikya Bahadur.

Chief Minister Biplab Deb who was in Delhi welcomed the decision and said it is recognition to the contributions of the Maharaja who is depicted as the main planner of the airport and the Agartala town.

The people’s enthusiasm was in display when they in large number turned up at the airport in the evening to receive the Chief Minister when he returned with the good news. The Chief Minister in reply said it is the benevolence of Prime Minister Marendra Modi and his affection for the people of Tripura that expedited the decision.

Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishor Manikya Bahadur who ascended to the throne in 1923 ruled the state till his death in 1947 just before the independence of the country. Since then the state was run by Regent Maharani as their son Kirit Bikram was a minor at that time. Maharani signed the Tripura’s marger agreement with India in 15th October, 1949. The airport was build in the year 1942 on the land donated by the Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishor Manikya Bahadur and he had some contribution in designing the airport.

The demand for renaming the airport was doing the round for quite a long time but the then Left Front government was opposed to it. The BJP had assured to rename the airport before the election and passed a resolution in the first session of the state Assembly after it came to power.