Cooch Behar: Statue of Maharaja Jagadipendra Narayan unveiled

Cooch Behar: After days of controversy and political discussion, a statue of Maharaja Jagadipendra Narayan was finally unveiled on Monday near the North Bengal Development Department office in Cooch Behar town, following the intervention of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The statue was unveiled on the occasion of the Maharaja’s 111th birth anniversary by Cooch Behar District Magistrate Raju Mishra.

Present at the ceremony were North Bengal National Transport Corporation Chairman Parth Pratim Roy, Banshi Badan Barman, and Cooch Behar Municipality Chairman Rabindranath Ghosh.

However, the absence of the concerned minister at the programme drew attention, as the statue has been installed in front of the North Bengal Development Department office. The issue had earlier triggered considerable debate and protests.

According to sources, the Cooch Behar Municipality had initially decided to install the statue in front of the department office near Sagar Dighi. The work, however, was abruptly halted on the very first day due to objections, leading to protests by various organisations. While Minister Udayan Guha reportedly did not oppose the installation of the statue, he had expressed reservations about placing it near the entrance of his office.

The matter was later resolved following the intervention of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who spoke to Minister Guha and directed that necessary arrangements be made for the statue’s installation. The District Magistrate subsequently visited the site, after which the municipality resumed and completed the work. Speaking at the event, Municipality Chairman Rabindranath Ghosh said: “The statue was installed to familiarise the younger generation with the contributions of Maharaja Jagadipendra Narayan. All previous controversies have now been resolved. The statue was built at a cost of Rs.1.98 lakh.”

Ghosh further informed that statues of Maharaja Bishwa Singha, Harendra Narayan, and noted musician Zubeen Garg will also be installed at different locations in the town, with work on those projects already underway.