Patna:Bihar will gift baskets of luscious litchis and special mangoes this summer to hundreds of very important people (VIPs) in New Delhi, officials said Tuesday.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government has decided this year again to gift baskets of Shahi (royal) litchis and special Zardalu mangoes to important people in New Delhi, including President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
‘In a bid to promote agri-products of the state, the Bihar government will send special sweet gifts to VIPs in New Delhi,’ an official in the chief minister’s office here told IANS.
‘Bihar’s Shahi litchis and Zardalu mangoes are set to impress India’s VVIPs and diplomats this summer. It will boost the state’s image,’ a government official told IANS.
The Shahi litchis of Muzaffarpur and the delicious Zardalu mangoes of Bhagalpur district are known for their rare taste and delicate flavour, but are yet to be marketed as fruits from Bihar within and outside the country.
‘The state government has decided to send the juicy gifts by the end of this month or early June,’ sources said.
The government has prepared a list of over 400 important people in New Delhi who will receive the gifts. They will also be given to Supreme Court judges and central ministers.
The ministers include Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee. Senior diplomats of several embassies and bureaucrats in the capital will also receive the baskets of goodies.
Bhagalpur District Magistrate Rahul Singh said a total of 425 packets each containing five kg of mangoes will be prepared to be given as gifts.
Nitish Kumar’s government started sending sweet gifts to VIPs in New Delhi three years ago in order to promote Bihar’s image.
Since he came to power in November 2005, Kumar has been trying hard to build a positive image of Bihar. His aim has been to replace the state’s negative image of lawlessness and lack of infrastructure.