The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, today gave its approval to rename the Agartala Airport in Tripura as ‘Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore Airport, Agartala. The decision comes in the wake of the long pending demand of people of Tripura as well as the Tripura Government for paying tribute to the Maharaja.
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Background:
Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore, who ascended the throne of the erstwhile Tripura Princely State in 1923, was an enlightened and benevolent ruler. Agartala Airport was constructed in 1942 on the land donated by Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore. As a visionary ruler, who had travelled extensively across the globe, he took several steps for the all-round development of Tripura. Due to his initiative, an aerodrome at Agartalawas constructed that has evolved as the second busiest airport in the North East and provides crucial air connectivity to Tripura. Hence, the Narendra Modi government felt apt to rename the Agartala Airport after his name, which it felt ‘will be a befitting tribute to Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Kishore.’
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Biplab Kumar Deb, the Chief Minister of Tripura thanked the Prime Minister for the decission and told people that the setting up of the airport in Agartala was possible due to the vision and foresight of the Maharaja.
He said that “this decision of naming the Agartala Airport after him is a fitting tribute to his great legacy.”
