Imphal, September 05: Expressing deep concern over the present deplorable condition of the historic Manipur Rajbari at Shillong, the Shillong Manipur Students� Union has appealed to the State Government for taking a serious note of the matter.

The students� body also alleged the care taker of Rajbari has been misappropriation of public fund.

Addressing a press conference here today, assistant general secretary of the students� body W Dineshwar Meetei informed that besides non-maintenance of the buildings of the Rajbari, popularly known as Redlands, the broken compound wall has not been repaired since ages thereby providing a safe haven for many local miscreants to intrude for drinking sessions and create public nuisance.

The present caretaker of the Rajbari identified as SR Bechang has also failed to take up any special action to foil trespassing freely inside the complex of the Rajbari.

He charged Bechang, a State Government employees with earning extra income by lodging eight tenants charging Rs 2000 per head at the guest house of the Rajbari while he actually accrued only around Rs 500 a revenue to the Government as room rent for the four rooms.

The room rent fixed by the State Government which is below Rs 150 per month at the Rajbari has not been enhanced till date, he said,adding that the bed used by the then Maharaja of Manipur Bodhachandra is being used by the tenants.

The student leader lamented over the fact that the students are not given preference to stay in the rooms as they do not obtain permission from the Govt.While authorities of other North Eastern States are maintaining their respective guest houses at Shillong, �ours is let in the lurch without making even a single major repair and we are embarrassed to tell others that Redlands is run by the State Govt�, he said.

While recalling the assurance given by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh during his stint at Shillong in September 2003 that his Govt would construct a community Hall and repair all the deplorable structures at the Rajbari, the student leader urged Ibobi to fulfill his promises at the earliest.

The student union had to incur a huge amount of money only in hiring halls when any State-related functions are to be organised at Shillong, he pointed out, adding that a memorandum in this connection would be submitted to the Chief Minister and other concerned authorities.

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