Agartala, July 5 (IANS): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to inaugurate the newly-built Tripura Assembly and lay the foundation stone for a new Raj Bhavan complex here later this month, officials said on Monday.
The 110-year-old current Assembly building and the 95-year-old Raj Bhavan building in the Tripura capital would be turned into museums.
"The Prime Minister is expected to visit Tripura later this month to inaugurate the new Assembly building and lay the foundation stone for a new Governor's residence," a senior Tripura government official told IANS.
The schedule of the Prime Minister's visit is not yet finalised.
The new Assembly building cost the State government Rs 30 crore. Another Rs 30 crore was allocated by the 13th Finance Commission to build a new Raj Bhavan.
The two-storeyed Ujjayanta Palace, at present the Tripura Legislative Assembly, was built by then Maharaja Radhakishore Manikya Bahadur in 1899-1901. It was the command centre of the erstwhile princely rulers.
The official said: "The Ujjayanta Palace would be made a state museum as per the agreement signed with the erstwhile separatist outfit All Tripura Tribal Force (ATTF)."
The present Raj Bhavan building would turn into a Rabindra Museum.
"As a tribute to the great Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore on his 150th birth anniversary, the State government would set up a museum and research centre at the Pushpavant Palace, currently the Governor's residence (Raj Bhavan). Tagore had visited Tripura seven times between 1899 and 1926," the official stated.
The Nobel laureate stayed in the palace during his last visit to the State in February 1926.
The Pushpavant Palace was constructed in early 1917 by the then king Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya (1909-1923).
