Tripura, 22 Jan 2026: Strengthening the bond of unity among all communities is essential to accelerate the overall development of the state and to build a “Best Tripura,” said Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha. He stated that maintaining peace and harmony across society is the cornerstone of sustained development. The Chief Minister made these remarks while inaugurating the Tripura Statehood Day celebrations at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan on Tuesday.
Highlighting the significance of Statehood Day, CM Saha said that its core objective is to steer the socio-economic development of the people of Tripura in the right direction. On the occasion, the state government honoured distinguished personalities for their outstanding contributions by conferring State Civil Awards on six individuals and Statehood Day Awards on eleven recipients. The Chief Minister, along with other dignitaries, presented the awards to the recipients.
Under the State Civil Awards, Tripura Bibhushan was conferred posthumously on eminent educationist Dhirendra Chandra Dutta, Tripura Bhushan posthumously on former Speaker of the Tripura Legislative Assembly Bishwabandhu Sen and to renowned screenplay writer Biplab Goswami. The Sachin Dev Burman Memorial State Award was presented to eminent folk artist Surya Kumar Debbarma (Sadagar). The Maharani Kanchanprabha Devi Memorial State Award was conferred on Champa Das of Kamalghat, while the State Award for contributions in Science and Environment was given to Dr. Arijit Das, Associate Professor and HOD of Bir Bikram Memorial College.
The Statehood Day Awards included the Good Citizen Award to Gautam Das of Purba Pratapgarh; Best Startup Entrepreneur award to Atkalapa Biotechnology LLP of Nagicherra; Best Entrepreneur in Agriculture and Horticulture to Dhanbabu Halam of Simbukchak village, Salema; Best Entrepreneur in Fisheries to Krishna Debbarma of Mohanbhog, Sepahijala; Best Entrepreneur in Animal Husbandry to Ratan Debnath of Bishramganj; Best Entrepreneur in Handloom, Handicrafts and Beekeeping to Uttam Kumar Das of Teliamura; Best Entrepreneur in Industrial Enterprise to Deepak Dutta of Kanchanbari, Fatikroy; Best Mobile App award to Satyabrata Biswas of Purba Jogendranagar; Best Cooperative Society award to Tulamura PACS Limited of Gomati district; Best Educationist award to Laxman Malakar of Belonia; and Best Sportsperson award to Sriparna Debnath of Natunnagar.
During the programme, the Chief Minister read out the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent on the occasion of Tripura Statehood Day. He said that the Prime Minister has called for building a developed and self-reliant India by 2047, and the Tripura government is working in alignment with that vision.
Speaking on the historical background of Statehood Day, CM Saha recalled that after the demise of Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya on May 17, 1947, a Council of Regency was formed under the leadership of Maharani Kanchanprabha Devi. On August 13, she signed the Instrument of Accession to join the Indian Union. Finally, on October 15, 1949, Tripura formally became part of the Indian Union, and later, on January 21, 1972, it attained full statehood.
Paying tribute to all those who played a pivotal role in Tripura attaining statehood, the Chief Minister said that since the formation of the new government in 2018, Tripura has made remarkable progress in agriculture, education, healthcare, industrial infrastructure, women empowerment, public safety and self-reliance. He noted that Tripura ranks second among the northeastern states in terms of GSDP and has emerged as the only fully digital state in the country. The state has received 347 awards at various levels for effective implementation of development programmes and has secured the first prize in deregulation.
CM Saha further stated that law and order has significantly improved over the past few years and that the government has been largely successful in empowering women through Self-Help Groups. As a result, the state now has around 1.08 lakh ‘Lakhpati Didis’ and 54,323 women Self-Help Groups actively working across Tripura. He added that the government is also working with a focused approach for the development of Indigenous communities. Acknowledging that challenges may arise in the process of governance, the Chief Minister asserted that the government remains fully committed to ensuring holistic development for the people of Tripura.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also unveiled the cover of a special folder marking Statehood Day, while the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs screened a short documentary showcasing the state’s development journey.
In his address as the special guest, Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha elaborated on the implementation of development programmes and said that Tripura was awarded as the best state under PM Janman for good governance and effective work. He emphasized that collective efforts of the administration and the people can take the state’s development to new heights.
Among others present at the programme were Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath, Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, Higher Education Minister Kishor Barman, Director General of Police Anurag, along with senior secretaries, department heads and officials of various departments.
