AMN

Festival of light Diwali is being celebrated with religious fervor and gaiety in Bihar. People have adorned their houses with colourfull lights to illuminate them during the night. People are preparing for Deepotsav at several places in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Darbhanga and other cities and towns.

In Munger a grand Deepotsav was organised on the eve of Diwali on the banks of river Ganga in Kalyanpur, where more than 8.5 lakh diya were lit by people. Making this Diwali a special occasion for contractual staffs of Land Reforms and Revenue department and Contractual engineers working in different departments, the state government has decided to provide a handsome hike in their remuneration and salaries with retrospective effect. In view of deteriorating Air Quality Index in several cities environment minister Dr Prem Kumar has appealed people to celebrate Diwali as a green Diwali.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have extended their greetings of the auspicious occasion to the people of the state.