Tripura: TSF Stage Protest Against Handover of Pushpabanta Palace to Private Entity

AGARTALA: The Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), a member organization of the North East Students’ Organization (NESO), staged a sit-in protest on Tuesday, opposing the Tripura government’s decision to lease the historic Pushpabanta Palace, formerly the Old Governor’s House, to a private entity. 

Pushpabanta Palace, constructed by Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya, holds immense cultural and historical value for Tripura. 

General Secretary of TSF, Hamalu Jamatia, voiced strong objections against the government’s move to lease the palace to the Taj Group for the establishment of a luxury hotel.

He said, “We welcome investments by Taj and other five-star hotel chains in Tripura to boost tourism and generate employment. However, we cannot support the transfer of an important part of our heritage and identity to private hands. Pushpabanta Palace represents Tripura’s indigenous pride and cultural legacy. Development must not come at the cost of sacrificing our historical landmarks.” 

Jamatia added that the federation has requested the government to consider alternative locations for luxury hotel projects.

“We organized this protest in front of Pushpabanta Palace to highlight our concerns. We plan to organize a massive rally involving Tripura's indigenous communities to safeguard our cultural heritage if our demands are not addressed," he said.

The TSF’s protest highlights the ongoing debate between cultural conservation and economic development in the state.

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