Move to renovate ''Neermahal'' in Tripura

Agartala, Feb 15 (PTI) The only lake palace in theeastern region, 81-year-old ''Neermahal'', is to get a faceliftsoon following recommendation by the Parliamentary StandingCommittee on Tourism, its Chairman, Sitaram Yechury saidtoday.

The Committee had asked Tripura Government to prepare adetailed project report for renovation of ''Neermahal'', builtas a summer resort by the king of the then Tripura, MaharajaBirbikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur in 1930.

"The water level of the Rudrasagar, the lake on which''Neermahal'' is located, has come down due to impropermaintenance.

"I have spoken to the state government officials aboutthe plight of the lake palace and requested them to draw up aplan for revival of its past glory", Yechury told reportershere.

Yechury, who visited four popular tourist spotsincluding ''Neermahal'', 53 km away from the state capital, onMonday, said that the lake should be used for pisciculture andtourism only.

Besides, the government had been asked to prepare aproject proposal to set up a ropeway connecting Tripureswaritemple and Bhubaneswari temple in South Tripura''s Udaipursub-division.

"We have discussed a lot of tourism related issueswith tourism operators as well as state governmnent officialsand all inputs will be placed before Parliament forconsiderations", he said.

A 23-member parliamentary team, headed by Yechury,came here on February 13 to oversee the progress of centralgovernment sponsored tourism related projects.