A local court has asked Tripura government to hand over Neer Mahal, the only lake palace in eastern India, and Rudra Sagar, a sprawling lake, to the successors of the erstwhile royal family of the state within next two months.
The civil judge Gobinda Das in his order yesterday asked the state government to hand over the lake and the property to the royal scion within the two month period.
The court also asked the government to pay a compensation of Rs. 20.50 lakh annually with 6 per cent interest, as calculated since 1974.
In 2008, Maharani Bivu Kumari Devi, widow of Kirit Bikram Manikya, the son of the last king Birbikram Kishore Manikya, had issued a notice to the state government requesting hand-over of Neer Mahal spread over 6.01 acres and Rudra Sagar spread over 26.61 acres as the government failed to implement the will of the late Maharaja Kirit Bikram Kishore Manikya, the last prince.
However, the state government turned down her plea. She then filed a case before the Judicial Magistrate, West Tripura district, on April 25, 2008 seeking the court's intervention to get her property - Neer Mahal and Rudra Sagar.
Bibhu Devi said in her plea that "since the state government has failed to fulfill the will of the late Maharaja to properly maintain and promote them as tourism spot, it must be returned to the owner."
Tripura's last King Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur had engaged Martin and Burn Company to build the grand palace Neer Mahal in 1930 in the midst of the sprawling lake Rudrasagar which the king used as his summer palace.
The Neer Mahal is the main tourist spot in the state which attracts thousands of tourists from across the country and neighbouring Bangladesh.
