Dimapur, Nov 24: Ahead of the 25th edition Hornbill Festival, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday chaired a meeting at the Police Complex in Chumoukedima to review the preparations.

All heads of various departments attended the meeting. Rio gave suggestions to enhance the venue's aesthetic appeal, and improve food arrangements and other aspects during the ensuing carnival. He stated that inauguration of various projects would be done as scheduled.

Earlier, he launched a commemorative coin on the 25th edition of the Hornbill Festival along with the Hornbill Festival booklet.

Adviser to the Chief Minister, Abu Metha highlighted the events scheduled for the Hornbill Festival. He also mentioned the bands that will participate in the Hornbill Music Festival, which runs parallel to the main festival and is one of the biggest rock music events in the country.

Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang addressed the condition of the national highway, urging the department concerned to ensure viability of the road. Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along gave an overview of the Tourism Hornbill Festival mobile application which is to be launched soon. Chief Secretary J Alam also spoke on the occasion.

Meanwhile, as a prelude to the 25th anniversary of the Hornbill Festival -a 10-day affair - scheduled to be held at Kisama near Kohima from December 1, Forerunners Nagaland, in collaboration with the Nagaland Tourism Department, organised competitions on indigenous games, and a cultural extravaganza at the Agri Expo site in Nagaland on Saturday.

Forerunners Nagaland is a seven-member event management team, with three patrons including Nagaland Tourism and Higher Education Minister Temjen Imna Along, which promotes young talents from the State in various fields. Indigenous events and games like pork eating, king chilly eating, bamboo climbing, tug-of-war, and traditional bamboo slit race were held during the day.

By-

Bhadra Gogoi