Amidst tight security the celebration of 77th Independence Day observed across the state peacefully with great fervour and enthusiasm along with the rest of the country. The main ceremonial programme of the state was held at Assam Rifles ground in Agartala on Tuesday morning, where Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha hoisted the national flag and inspected the parade by police and other security forces.

In the main programme at Assam Rifle ground, a guard of honour by different security forces were presented to the Chief Minister with march-past of the security forces and there were also several patriotic cultural programmes and events by school children performed.

After the speech of the Chief Minister, a simple prize giving ceremony for security personnel for their meritorious services was also held.

On the morning of Independence Day, the day started by hoisting of the national flag in all houses and buildings, business establishments and educational institutions after sunrise. Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath unfurled the national flag in the civil secretariat complex at 7-00 AM and hoisting of national flags in all government offices. At 8.00 AM Governor garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Circuit House and also offered floral tribute at the Martyrs enclave in Gandhighat area of Agartala. Minister Nath has also paid homage to the martyr’s memorial at Albert Ekka Park in Lichubagan in presence of administrative officials.

All the political parties including ruling BJP, opposition CPI (M) and Congress have also observed the day with befitting manner in their respective party offices by hoisting the national flag. After hoisting the national flag at CPI (M) headquarters in Agartala, party’s state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury said that on Independence Day everyone takes the oath to protect the constitution and to strengthen the independence of the country.

Apart from these, the opposition Congress also observed the day with patriotic fervour and all ministers of the state also observed the day in their respective constituencies.

Meanwhile, addressing in the main programme at Assam Rifle ground, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha highlighting different developmental activities of the state government in his long speech said called for all round development of the state in the next few years besides giving a detailed statistical data of the development works done already by his government.

“We are in the midst of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and as part this altogether 75 bordering villages will be named after the gallant heroes of the country like in other states like West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir etc” said Dr Saha. He said that lumps of earth from each AMC and municipal wards, 591 panchayats and 587 villages committees are being sent to Delhi’s ‘Kartabya Path’ like from other parts of the country for building a unity memorial.

The budget allocation this year is 25% for health and education and 13 new schemes in various sectors of governmental activities have been launched for development; a loan of Rs 1200 crores is being drawn from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for health and infrastructural development,” said Dr Saha. He said that budget allocation for ADC has increased to Rs. 672.64 crore in 2023-24.

He said that to make the state free of drugs, a slew of measures were undertaken which resulted in the arrest of 1,224 peddlers and the seizure of various narcotics worth Rs 86 crore and said that for effective dealing with the drug menace, an SIT had been constituted under the Crime Branch of the police. The Chief Minister said that during the 2022-23 financial year, Tripura exported various products worth Rs 121.37 crore, which is seven times more than the international trade of 2018-19.

To display the products of the state as well as of others, the Tripura government will set up a “Unity Mall'' at a cost of Rs 130 crore in the outskirts of Agartala, Saha said. The Chief Minister said that for the all-round development of the tribals, the World Bank has approved Rs 1,400 crore under the ‘Tripura Rural Economy Growth’ and ‘Sustainable Service Delivery Project’. For the development of the tribal areas of the state, a new project, Mukhyamantri Tribal Development Mission, was undertaken recently, he said. Dr Saha said that under the Tripura State Policy for Empowerment of Women, 33 per cent seats were reserved for women in government jobs.

He added that the rate of growth of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is expected to be 8% this year against the national GDP growth of only 6.65% in the current fiscal. He also highlighted the achievements in the prime minister Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana which has been supplemented further by the ‘Mukhyamantri Kishan Samman Nidhi’.

The chief minister also gave a detailed picture of the improvement in law-and-order situation as well as the steps taken for the development of the health infrastructure in the state. The state government through its ‘drug free Tripura’ drive has taken zero tolerance against drug abuse.

Apart from setting up a Dental College which will start functioning from the first week of September, 2023, several local hospitals and health centres in outlying areas like Kumarghat, Manu and other areas will be upgraded to full-fledged hospitals.

The chief minister also gave details of other works being done to ensure development and welfare of all sections of people, specially tribals and said that his government will reach all the goals of development set by the government.