MIRPURKHAS, June 4: The district government on Monday gave final touches to the arrangements for the 42nd annual national mango and summer fruits festival, which would run from June 5 to 7 at the Gama Stadium.

Arguably the biggest mango festival of the country it was initiated way back in 1965 when Fazal Ellahi Malik was the deputy commissioner of Tharparkar. Nawab of Kalabagh Malik Ameer Mohammad Khan, then governor of West Pakistan was the chief guest at the first festival.

In-charge of registration and exhibition committee Ghulamullah Jarwar told journalists that more than 500 stalls including 30 commercial stalls would be installed in the exhibition and 531 growers had so far obtained forms for participating in the festival.

He said that the committee had also invited local and foreign exporters to the festival which would showcase many varieties of mango and other summer fruits. Some commercial varieties like Sindhri, Dasehri, Saroli, Langra, Gulab Khas, Bombay Alfanso, Neelam, Chaunsa, Began Phalli, Collector, Anwar Ratol, Swonrika, Desi, Jagirdar, Anmol and Shahenshah would also be put on display, he said.

Management committee chairman Anwar Gondal said that he was in contact with Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Promotion Bureau, agriculture businesses and foreign embassies to invite them to festival.

The district government had spent Rs1 million for the mega event. Other district departments had also put in their efforts to make the festival a success, he said.

A centrally air conditioned mango exhibition hall, auditorium and food technology laboratory except a Mali (gardener) Training Institute, which the chief minister had announced during the last festival were in final stages in the premises of Sindh Horticulture Research Institute.

District Nazim Dr Sughra Junejo who is president of the management committee will inaugurate the festival on June 5 in the Gama Stadium while chief minister will be the chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony on June 7.