Cooch Behar MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia met Union minister of tourism & culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat today and urged him to take immediate steps for the restoration, modernisation, and preservation of the historic Cooch Behar royal palace (Rajbari).
Highlighting the palace’s cultural and historical value, Mr Basunia said: “The Rajbari is not only a symbol of pride for the people of North Bengal but also a major tourist attraction. However, it is in urgent need of better maintenance and development.”
Built in 1886 in European architectural style, the palace has been functioning as a museum under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) since 2000. Despite its popularity, the MP pointed out that the condition of the palace has worsened due to lack of funds, staff shortage, and poor upkeep.
Mr Basunia shared data obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, showing a clear mismatch between increasing revenue and stagnant maintenance grants:
In the financial year 2021-22, the Cooch Behar Royal Palace recorded 1,74,056 visitors and earned Rs 43,52,775 in revenue, while the ASI’s maintenance grant stood at Rs 36,10,000.
In 2022-23, the number of visitors rose sharply to 6,00,803, generating a revenue of Rs 1,50,40,425, yet the grant dropped to Rs 28,01,000.
In 2023-24, the footfall further increased to 6,77,065, and income touched Rs 1,69,61,825, but the maintenance allocation was only Rs 31,30,000.
Despite the growing number of visitors and rising revenue, the maintenance grant has not kept pace, raising concerns over the long-term upkeep of this heritage site.
“Visitor numbers and revenue have grown significantly, but the maintenance budget has not kept pace,” Mr Basunia noted.
He also said that basic amenities like public toilets, rest areas, drinking water facilities, and signboards are in poor condition, causing inconvenience to the large number of tourists who visit the palace every day-more than 2,000 daily, according to estimates.
The Trinamul Congress MP urged the Union minister to increase funding, improve staffing, and take immediate action to protect and preserve this historic landmark for future generations.