Chief minister Shibu Soren inaugurates Expo Utsav-2008 at Town Hall. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, Sept. 11: Setting free a cluster of balloons and two pigeons, chief minister Shibu Soren inaugurated the five-day Expo Utsav-2008 today.

Organised at the Town Hall, the event was put together by the Ranchi Junior Chamber (RJC). Housing 10 stalls, the expo offered up to 40 per cent discount on all items.

Regular participants at the fair were Videocon, LG, Samsung, Whirlpool Kenstar, Ayur cosmetics, Mysore sandal soaps, perfumes, ayurvedic medicines, Avalon Academy and Cogent EMR Solutions Limited, among others.

Cosmetics and consumer durable items were the most popular stalls at the fair. Real estate and automobile stalls also drew crowd. Know Your Health, an awareness stall, was also set up where stall owners apprised visitors on their health status.

Santosh Kumar Jha, one of the members at the stall explained that they used Aculife, a Chinese method to detect different types of diseases. “We are charging Rs 30 for checking up patients,” Jha said.

Jha explained that acu-life is based on the principal of magnetic wave. “It is electromagnetic acupressure, which improves blood circulation by magnetising the blood and by increasing the amount of oxygen present,” Jha added.

As part of the emergency arrangements, organisers have made adequate security arrangements to deal with any kind of eventualities. Fire fighting equipment and adequate parking space are also arranged for at the venue.

Deputy chief minister Stephen Marandi, who was also present at the venue, said members of RJC should also lend them their support. “Social work is important and everyone should come forward to work towards the betterment of the society,” he said.