Patna, Jan. 26: The agriculture department walked away with the honour of putting up the best Republic Day tableau this year at Gandhi Maidan, the host to a burst of colour and theme today.

Thirteen government departments presented their tableaux. Apart from Governor Ram Nath Kovind, chief minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy, Tejaswi, and senior ministers, close to 12,000 people from across the state came for the parade.

The Nitish government's effort to put a blanket ban of liquor, the Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Mission aiming at skill development training for Mahadalits, changes in rural Bihar were some of the many themes. For the agriculture department, artistes dressed as sunflowers and honeybees walked ahead of the tableau. The work highlighted Bihar as the highest honey producer in the country with more than 20 lakh farmers engaged in honeybee farming.

The rural development department's tableau of Jeevika, a World Bank-supported rural livelihood programme, came second. A panel formed by the public relations department adjudged the tableaux.

Residents watching the parade had their favourites and one among them was homemaker Sunita Prasad.

At the ground with her sons Animesh and Aniket, she liked the tourism department's tableau on the 1917 Champaran movement the best. She said: "This is the first year I came to watch the Republic Day parade. I brought my sons along with me. The march past by police and paramilitary personnel was excellent but the biggest attraction was the tableaux."

At Patna, 10 police and paramilitary officers were also felicitated with gallantry awards by Governor Kovind. Among the officers honoured were Lt-Gen Rakesh Nandan who was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (a medal and Rs 1 lakh) and Colonel Samrendra Pratap who was conferred the Vishisht Seva Medal (a memento and Rs 50,000).