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Speaking to ANI at the event, Saha said the campaign would serve as a new milestone in efforts to keep Agartala away from drugs through a public-private partnership.

The project we are launching right here today is the campaign for a Drug-Free Agartala. This is a new milestone for us to show how we can stay away from drugs through a public-private partnership, the Chief Minister said.

"A few days ago, a civic hospital was started here in the name of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee...One after another, they are doing very good work. The project we are launching right here today is the campaign for a Drug-Free Agartala. This is a new milestone for us to show how we can stay away from drugs through a public-private partnership. The discussion that has taken place about it makes me believe this is a very good decision. Secondly, for waste management here, we are flagging off 51 new mini vans to collect waste from every household", he said.

He also highlighted the recent launch of a civic hospital in Agartala named after Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee and said several good initiatives were being undertaken in the city.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday said that the Chaturdash Devta Temple is one of the most important religious tourism centres in Tripura and that the government is working to preserve its heritage while taking development forward. "The traditional Kharchi Puja has now become a gathering place for people from all sections of society, cutting across caste and tribal communities," he said.

Saha said this while inaugurating the seven-day traditional Kharchi Puja and fair at the premises of the Chaturdash Devta Temple in Khayerpur.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, CM Saha said, "Today, I pay my deepest respects to the Chaturdash Devta and wish happiness, peace, good health, prosperity and the all-round welfare of the people of Tripura. The main purpose of Kharchi Puja is to purify Mother Earth and attain virtue. Kharchi Puja is not just a religious festival; it is a shining symbol of Tripura's history, culture, spiritual consciousness, harmony and unity among the state's tribal and non-tribal communities. It is one of the oldest traditional and universal religious festivals of Tripura. We know that this puja began with the worship of the fourteen deities, the family deities of the royal family, but today it has become a universal festival of the people of Tripura".

The Chief Minister said that every year, Kharchi Puja is held on the Shukla Ashtami of the month of Ashadh. Various religious rituals, fairs and cultural activities are organised on the occasion.

"Long ago, there was no bridge over the Howrah River, so people had to travel by boat. Many accidents also occurred during those journeys. Yet, people from all over the state participated in this puja regardless of caste, religion or creed. During this seven-day-long puja and fair, people from different states and even other countries gather here, making it a vibrant meeting place. It is mentioned in the Rajmala that the fourteen deities are the family deities of the royal family. The Kharchi Puja is performed by the Chantai. Under the leadership of the chief priest, or Chantai, this centuries-old Kharchi Puja is celebrated with great reverence while following all the prescribed rituals. These fourteen deities are Har, Uma, Hari, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik, Ganesha, Brahma, Prithvi, Samudra, Ganga, Agni, Kamdev and Himadri. Har, Uma and Hari are worshipped throughout the year, while the remaining deities are worshipped on Shukla Ashtami," Saha said.

During the discussion, Saha also said that unity in diversity is one of Tripura's greatest strengths.