Itanagar/Aizawl, Feb 20 (IANS): Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram on Tuesday separately celebrated their Statehood Day by holding a variety of colourful cultural programmes and other functions.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, BJP President J.P. Nadda and several Union ministers and Chief Ministers of the neighbouring northeastern states greeted the people of the two states on the occasion.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that the 38th Statehood Day was celebrated with usual fervour and enthusiasm on Tuesday.

“I humbly recognise the contributions of all in ensuring the multifaceted development trajectory of Arunachal Pradesh, marked by significant strides in various sectors,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that from day one, Team Arunachal is leaving no stone unturned to make the state witness remarkable infrastructure growth with the construction of new roads, bridges and airports, enhancing connectivity within and beyond its borders in sync with the spirit of last mile development as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We've not only been able to spur economic development by attracting investments and promoting tourism, but have also strengthened and expanded education and health sectors by establishing new schools, colleges and healthcare facilities, thereby giving a boost to the people's ease of living.

"Our collective journey reflects a concerted effort towards holistic progress of our great state, laying a solid foundation for its continued all-round growth in the years to come,” Khandu said.

Vice President Dhankhar along with his wife Sudesh Dhankhar, Arunachal Governor Lt Gen K.T. Parnaik (Retd), Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and many other dignitaries were present in the main Statehood Day in Itanagar.

In Mizoram, Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati said that the state was conferred the status of a full state after the signing of a memorandum of settlement, also known as the ‘Mizoram Peace Accord’, between the Central government and the Mizo National Front (MNF) on June 30, 1986.

Addressing the Statehood Day function, the Governor congratulated the people of Mizoram for maintaining the reputation of being one of the most peaceful states in India.

The Peace Accord was a culmination of two decades of insurgency while the formalisation of Mizoram state took place on February 20, 1987, the Governor said adding that it was noteworthy that while the Government of India had granted statehood as a condition of the Peace Accord, Mizoram has also kept its end of the bargain and maintained peace for 37 years.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma, as part of the commemoration of Mizoram Statehood Day, laid a wreath and paid tributes to the fallen martyrs at the Assam Rifles War Memorial in Aizawl.

Addressing the function, the Chief Minister underlined how Mizoram, as a state, was already lagging behind other states by 25 years on the day of its creation.

He said that during these 25 years, Mizoram missed out on all the progress and developments that came with the five consecutive five-year plans.

Since the state was a very late starter, the Chief Minister stressed that the state needed to walk faster and, and most importantly, work harder than others to catch up.

He also briefly hinted how his government will take all the necessary steps to promote growth and progress even if it takes some hard decisions.