Raipur. On the auspicious occasion of Kartik Punni, Chief Minister Mr.Bhupesh Baghel reached Mahadev Ghat of Raipur in the morning and took a holy dip in the Kharun river. He prayed for the happiness and prosperity of the people of the state by taking Kartik Purnima Snan(bath). He also extended his greeting to all the people of the state on the occasion of Kartik Punni Mela.
On this occasion, he said " We are following our religious, cultural and social traditions. People from all the surrounding villages take part in Punni Mela. Punni Mela is our ancient tradition, it belongs to the traditions of both our villages and cities of Chhattisgarh. There has been a tradition of taking snan(bath) in the morning and offering Jal(water) to Shiva in the month of Kartik, and from this day onwards the fair starts in the ghats of the villages". "Today we are also celebrating the auspicious day of Prakash Parv, the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Ji, across the country. He had an old relationship with Chhattisgarh, so we have decided to develop Garhphuljhar in the Mahasamund district as a tourist destination", he added.
He said that announcement was made for the development of the Kharun river Ghat last year, and now with the provision in the budget, the development work of the Ghat will start soon. The farmers have started harvesting paddy in the state. The procurement of paddy has also started from November 1, the farmers are selling paddy at a support price and they are also getting paid on time. Before Diwali, the third instalment of the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana was transferred to the farmers.
He further said that to save the culture and tradition of Chhattisgarh, the National Tribal Dance Festival on the occasion of Rajyotsava was organised recently. The state government is persistently working for the preservation and development of Chhattisgarh's culture along with education, health and employment and the people of the state have equally participated in it.
Parliamentary Secretary Mr.Vikas Upadhyay, Chairman of Gau Seva Aayog Mahant Ram Sundar Das, Advisor to Chief Minister Mr.Pradeep Sharma, Mayor of Raipur Municipal Corporation Mr.Aijaz Dhebar, public representatives and a large number of devotees were present on the occasion.
