Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Saturday said the state has witnessed remarkable progress across multiple sectors over the past few years, with its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) doubling in the last six years and sustained efforts being made to create economic opportunities for nearly 40 lakh people.

Addressing the state-level 80th Independence Day celebration after hoisting the National Flag at the Assam Rifles Ground in Agartala, the Chief Minister paid tribute to the country's freedom fighters, martyrs and nation-builders. He urged the people of Tripura to work collectively towards building a developed, peaceful, inclusive and self-reliant state.

Highlighting governance reforms, Dr. Saha said Tripura is the only state in the country to have successfully implemented the e-Office system from the highest level of the administration down to the panchayat level. He also noted that the state has secured the top position nationally for two consecutive years in the compliance reduction and deregulation exercise.

Referring to the recently held Destination Tripura Business Conclave 2026, the Chief Minister said the state signed 468 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), attracting proposed investments worth around Rs 1.32 lakh crore across key sectors.

He also said Tripura has earned national recognition for the successful implementation of the PM-JANMAN scheme and the Dharti Aaba Janbhagidari Abhiyan. Sepahijala district was honoured as the country's best district panchayat under the Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar, while Kanchanbari Gram Panchayat in Unakoti district was recognised as the best healthy panchayat.

In the agriculture sector, Dr. Saha said more than 26,800 farmers have adopted organic farming practices. Around 2.30 lakh farmers have received direct financial assistance under the PM-KISAN scheme, while 56,600 farmers have availed loans worth Rs 438 crore through Kisan Credit Cards.

The Chief Minister said the government has also strengthened the animal husbandry and fisheries sectors by providing insurance coverage for more than 21,000 livestock and 1.1 lakh fish farmers and fish workers. Cage fish farming has been introduced on a large scale in the Dumbur Reservoir and Sitadara Lake.

Speaking on tourism, Dr. Saha said the government is expanding tourism infrastructure under the Matabari Tourism Circuit and developing facilities at major tourist destinations, including the Tripura Sundari Temple, Unakoti, Chabimura and Amar Sagar.

In the healthcare sector, he said the number of annual MBBS seats in Tripura has increased to 500, while the government is establishing the Tripura University of Health Sciences and upgrading district and sub-divisional hospitals.

More than 5.7 lakh beneficiaries have received cashless treatment under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), with expenditure exceeding Rs 307 crore, he said. The government has also launched a large-scale screening campaign covering over 15 lakh people aged above 30 years for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cancer.

On education, Dr. Saha said pre-primary sections have been introduced in 411 schools, benefiting more than 21,000 children. The state has established 125 Vidyajyoti Schools as centres of excellence, while over 1.64 lakh bicycles have been distributed among Class IX students.

Highlighting women’s empowerment, the Chief Minister said nearly 4.96 lakh rural women have been organised into 55,693 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission. The groups have received Rs 837 crore in community funds and Rs 2,400 crore in bank credit to strengthen their economic activities.

Dr. Saha said digital connectivity has also improved significantly with the commissioning of 104 new mobile tower sites under the 4G Saturation Project. Under the Chief Minister's Yuva Yogayog Yojana, financial assistance has been provided to 63,249 students for purchasing smartphones.

He further said railway infrastructure is being upgraded under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with modernization work underway at Agartala, Dharmanagar, Kumarghat and Udaipur railway stations. Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) train services have also been introduced on the Agartala–Karimganj route.

The Chief Minister stated that irrigation facilities now cover 1.24 lakh hectares of the state's 2.55 lakh hectares of cultivable land, while 6.49 lakh rural households have been provided access to drinking water.

Emphasising the government's anti-drug drive, Dr. Saha said a record quantity of narcotics was seized over the past year, resulting in the registration of 542 cases under the NDPS Act and the arrest of 858 persons.

He also noted that Tripura has received more than 360 national and regional awards over the last eight years for good governance, transparency and efficient administration.

Concluding his address, the Chief Minister appealed to the people to join hands in realising the vision of "Developed Tripura, Developed India" by the year 2047.