As you read these words, the topmost people in power and position in the national capital will be relishing the taste of Bihar’s syrupy-sweet shahi litchis and jardalu mangoes, which are globally admired for their unbeatable aroma, tasty pulp and bigger size.
Some 2,000 kg of the best of these two seasonal fruits have been dispatched from Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur with proper refrigeration facilities to New Delhi to be delivered as presents to the President, the Prime Minister, the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Chief Justice of India and a few others of that rank, as per special orders from the Nitish Kumar government.
While the shahi litchis were despatched in a special refrigerator van from Muzaffarpur, the hub of Bihar’s litchi production, to Delhi on Tuesday, the jardalu mangoes were sent on the Vikramshila Express train from Bhagalpur on Wednesday.
Both consignments, a goodwill gesture from Nitish Kumar, will reach Bihar Bhawan in New Delhi Thursday morning and their addresses in the next few minutes, said officials in Patna.
Each packet, comprising 2.5 kg of each fruit, bears a colourful wrapper with the words: “Bihar ke mukhya mantri Nitish Kumar se saprem bhent (An affectionate present from Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar)”.
“Extreme care has been taken to ensure that the fruits are not damaged en route and reach the addressees in perfect condition,” said Bhagalpur district agriculture officer Dinesh Kumar Singh after his men loaded the jardalu mangoes onto the train.
Muzaffarpur district magistrate Anand Kishore said the pick of the fruits were being sent to New Delhi as per instructions from the principal secretary of Bihar’s Cabinet Secretariat department to the district administrations of Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur.