Raipur, Dec. 24 -- Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday expressed grief over the passing of renowned Hindi poet Vinod Kumar Shukla, calling his loss "irreplaceable" for the literary world.

Sai said he made Chhattisgarh proud by receiving the Gyanpith Award, recalling that he had come to congratulate Shukla on the occasion. The Chief Minister said he had also informed him about the Literature Festival to be organised in Chhattisgarh next year.

"The demise of Shukla ji is an irreplaceable loss for the literary world... As a recipient of the Gyanpith Award, he has made Chhattisgarh proud in the field of literature. I had come to congratulate him when he won this award. When he was undergoing treatment in the hospital, I met him ther...