Sales of more than Rs 7 crore recorded in first-ever SARAS Mela

Darjeeling: The first ever (Sale of Articles of Rural Artisan Society) SARAS Mela in Darjeeling town and the 7th edition in the district recorded a sale of more than Rs 7 crore. The Mela was inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on November 13 and continued till November 24.

“The final tabulation is yet to be done but the mela recorded a sale of more than Rs 7 crore. As the Chief Minister had inaugurated this prestigious event, it had got widespread publicity. Many artisans had finished their stock, reordered and sold out everything,” stated Sumedha Pradhan, Executive Director, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and Project Director of District Rural Development Cell (DRDC).

There were 100 general stalls, 15 food stalls and open spaces. More than 300 artisans, mainly women from Self Help Groups (SHG), took part. All the districts of Bengal were represented in the fair and there were stalls from other states, including Haryana, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. “In the evening, cultural shows were hosted by artists from the Hills along with Self Help Groups women. Tourists got a taste of the rich cultural diversity of the Hills while the Hill got a first hand experience of how SHGs function. We hope that next year too we are given a chance to host this prestigious event” added Pradhan.

In her inaugural speech on November 13, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had stated: “We have 12 lakh Self Help Groups in Bengal under Ananda Dhara scheme of the state government. Rs 110000 crore worth bank loans have been given to them for business. It is a success story of women’s empowerment. No other state has managed to do so much for women and this is a model for all to replicate.” She had stated that more than 11,000 Self Help Groups have been created in the GTA area and already Rs 500 crore worth loan has been given to these SHGs.

“Tourists from all over the country and the world visit Darjeeling. The SARAS Mela will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the handicrafts of Darjeeling and Bengal to the world. It will greatly benefit the SHGs,” the Chief Minister had emphasised.