Bihar govt begins 'Shahi Litchi' delivery; babus say 'no AES link; will help fight Covid'

As the Bihar government started the home delivery of Muzaffarpur's famous 'Shahi Litchi' in select districts from Monday with help from the postal department, officials said there is no harm in enjoying the fruit.

Dr Shailesh Prasad Singh, Civil Surgeon, Muzaffarpur, said that no correlation has been found between the consumption of litchi and the acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) disease which caused deaths of many children in the state last year.

"There is no correlation between the fruit and the AES disease, according to what I have seen. Cases of AES affecting children started coming from January-February when litchi is not even available in the market," Singh told ANI.

READ | Bihar Government, Postal Dept Join Hands For Online Delivery Of 'Shahi Litchi'

'Benefits of the coveted fruit'

Meanwhile, Director of the Litchi Research Centre, Dr Vishal Nath, hailed the move, saying it will benefit the farmers and will help in building the immune system of people.

"It is a very positive move by the Bihar government, which will prove to be beneficial for the farmers and for the buyers as well, as they will be able to get the product home-delivered, after getting tested for quality," Nath said.

Dr Nath added that research has clarified that the fruit is not associated with the AES disease at all and that there is nothing harmful in consuming litchis. The antioxidants, Vitamin-C, calcium, phosphorus, Omega-3, present in the fruit will help in boosting the immune system, which is required to fight Coronavirus. He said that litchi can serve as health food.

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Online delivery of 'Shahi Litchi'

Connoisseurs of litchi may enjoy the choicest variety of the luscious fruit this season without having to step out of their homes and exposing themselves to the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The 'Shahi Litchi', a specialty of the north Bihar district of Muzaffarpur which earned the GI tag a couple of years ago, stands apart from other varieties by virtue of its unique fragrance and extra-juicy pulp which gives way to a smaller than usual seed. Shahi Litchi will be delivered to people's doorsteps thanks to a joint move by the Bihar government and the postal department.

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The home delivery began on Monday, while that of 'Zardalu Aam', a popular variety of mango from Bhagalpur, will begin from June. Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Communications said that orders for 4,400 kilograms of Litchi had already been placed and is expected to go up to 1 lakh kilogram during the season.

READ | One Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) Case Reported In Bihar's Muzaffarpur

(With inputs from ANI)