The Vasantotsav festival concluded on Sunday evening at the Raj Bhawan. At the concluding ceremony, the Governor Krishan Kant Paul gave away prizes to winners of the top three positions in various competitions held as part of the spring festival. The overall running trophy was bagged by the U’khand Forest department. The contest held during the two-day event included cut-flower, floral rangoli, painting competition for school children, on the spot photography, potted plants and loose flowers arrangement categories.
Interacting with the media persons after the function, the Governor said that Uttarakhand can emerge as a floriculture State (Pushp Bhumi) as the climate and environment here was conducive to growing all kinds of flowers. Commercial cultivation of flowers will boost the economy and provide employment even in remote areas of the State. The Governor said that this two-day event of colour and fragrance would surely have created new energy, freshness and enthusiasm in the hearts of all visitors. He said this was not just a flower exhibition but was a unique convergence of floriculturists, flower lovers, nature lovers, music, folk art and painting.
The Governor said that the painting competition where students of schools as well as physically challenged children showed their power of imagination and creativity was a pleasure to witness. At the initiative and direction of the Governor, several new dimensions were added this year to the festival. The festival was also kept polythene –free. The governor congratulated all the winners, participants, the horticulture department(which organises this event), the culture department and all supporting departments for making the festival a success.
Earlier in the day, the Guv visited all the stalls and displays at the festival. He saw the painting and photography exhibitions and interacted with the personnel at the various stalls of organisations and institutions.
The Governor’s wife Omita Paul, Vidhan Sabha Speaker and MlA Premchand Agrawal, Agriculture and Horticulture minister Subodh Uniyal, secretaries R Meenakshi Sundaram, Ravinath Raman and other officials were also among those present on the occasion along with a number of visitors. Cultural programmes by artistes of the culture department were also presented on the Raj Bhawan lawns on the eve after the prize distribution.