Raipur, September 24 : The internationally renowned 41st Chakradhar Festival concluded with great fanfare late Wednesday night. State Finance Minister O.P. Chaudhary attended the closing ceremony and inaugurated the tenth and final evening of the festival by lighting the lamp.

On this occasion, he paid tribute to the artistic pursuits and contributions of Maharaja Chakradhar Singh, saying that Maharaja Chakradhar Singh took art and music to new heights during his time. His patronage and contributions have given the Raigarh Gharana of Kathak a unique recognition across the country. The Chakradhar Festival is a powerful medium to promote this glorious cultural heritage.

Finance Minister Chaudhary said that Raigarh is known for its development as well as its art, culture, and rich traditions. To pass on this cultural heritage to future generations and to take Raigarh to new heights of development, a number of important projects have been resolved to be completed in the next five years.

He announced that an art and music college will be established in Raigarh. Budget provisions have been made for this, and the process is progressing rapidly. He added that a resolution has been made to develop 10 new oxygen gardens in Raigarh over the next five years, modeled after Kamala Nehru Park. In this vein, a grand oxygen garden will be developed on approximately five acres at Kharra Ghat, with groundbreaking ceremonies scheduled soon. He urged citizens to participate.

Giving details of the work being done towards the overall development of Raigarh, the Finance Minister said that work is progressing on various infrastructure projects including the Dairy in Raju Nagar, Oxygen Garden at Kharra Ghat, development of Gajmar Pahar and Nagar Van, expansion of sports facilities, and development of Marine Drive. Projects like Kayaghat Bridge, Kevdawadi Bridge, bridge near Raja Mahal, and Govardhanpur Bridge will strengthen the city's connectivity. Additionally, projects like road widening, ring road, expansion of sports facilities, Prayas Vidyalaya, Navguru School, Horticulture College, Physiotherapy College, and Naturopathy College will give a new direction to Raigarh's development.

At the closing ceremony, Finance Minister O.P. Choudhary also made an important announcement for Raigarh's young content creators. He announced that a modern studio will be constructed in Raigarh at a cost of ₹2 crore (approximately $20 million). This will provide modern resources and a better creative platform for local youth, artists, and content creators. He stated that this will be an important initiative to provide opportunities to the new generation of creative talent and provide a wider platform for local art and culture through digital media.