Patna: Patna’s annual celebration of literature and learning opened with grandeur on Friday as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the Patna Book Fair at Gandhi Maidan. The event began with the traditional lighting of a lamp, followed by a warm welcome from the organising committee, who presented the Chief Minister with a book to mark the occasion.
After formally opening the fair, Kumar took a detailed tour of the sprawling exhibition grounds, visiting dozens of stalls set up by national and regional publishers. He also inaugurated the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority’s stall by cutting a ribbon, encouraging visitors to engage with the department’s awareness initiatives and informative displays.
Several government departments have created elaborate exhibitions for this year’s fair, including the Information and Public Relations Department, the Women and Child Development Corporation, the Labour Resources Department, and the Science and Technology and Technical Education Department. Their participation has added a strong public education focus to the event, which will continue until 16 December.
The inauguration saw the presence of senior officials and dignitaries. Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Disaster Management Authority Vice-Chairman Udaykant Mishra, and senior officers from the Chief Minister’s secretariat joined the event. Patna’s administrative and police leadership, including the Divisional Commissioner, Inspector General of Police, District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police, were also in attendance, along with organisers and an enthusiastic crowd of readers.
