Amidst tight security, Tripura along with other parts of the country celebrated the 78th Independence Day peacefully with great fervour and enthusiasm. The main ceremonial programme of the state was held at Assam Rifles ground in Agartala on Thursday 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 Indrasena Reddy Nallu garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Circuit House and also offered floral tribute at the Martyrs enclave in Gandhighat area of Agartala. Governor and 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.

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 asserted the state's overall law and order situation has improved significantly during the past one year.

Dr Saha said the police have also achieved success in anti-drug campaigns across the state as they have recovered plenty of drugs and narcotics items.

The state police have been able to achieve laudable success during the past one year. The overall law and order situation has improved with Lok Sabha and Panchayat elections passed off peacefully. Even theft, murder and rape have also been reduced, said Dr Saha.

Asserting that the government is focused on reducing dependency on agriculture, he said the state has set a target to reduce the dependency on the agriculture sector by 50 per cent.

"Besides, we are also working on increasing trade volume within the state and neighbouring country", he said, adding the government is trying to turn the state into a logistic hub by improving railway stations, airports, helipads, river ports and four-lane roads along the border.

Highlighting the initiatives aimed at boosting industry, the chief minister said the government has already unveiled the Tripura Industrial Promotion Incentive Scheme-2024 to set up industry on the basis of gas, bamboo, tourism and healthcare.

"Initiatives have been taken for skill development. To undertake modernization of all the 19 industrial training centers, the government has inked a MoU with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The move is aimed to skill the youths as per the requirement of industrial units," he said.

Dr Saha also sought people's participation to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Ek Tripura Shrestha Tripura'.