Saras Mela: State inks six MoUs

Kolkata: State Panchayats and Rural Development department on Friday has signed six Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with five different e-commerce platforms to establish intense market connectivity of products that are being produced by the Self Help Groups (SHG).

On Friday during the inauguration of the 18th Saras Mela at the New Town Mela Ground, state Panchayats and Rural Development minister Pradip Kumar Mazumdar said: "Our aim is to make better market opportunities for the SHG members. We have 236 stalls in the fair, including about 56 stalls from 19 states.

Sources said that for handloom and handicraft products, a MoU has been signed with Flipkart. This e-commerce site authority will sort the products made from the members of the SHGs and will allow the products to be sold on their platform. This part, a few other organisations are going to procure livestock materials, vegetables and fruits and sell those on the e-commerce sites.

This year the Saras Mela will continue till January 3. The mela will be open for people from 12 pm to 8:30 pm. State Women and Child Development minister Shashi Panja, Deputy Mayor of Kolkata, Atin Ghosh, Mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, Krishna Ghosh, MLA of Rajarhat-New Town, Tapas Chatterjee were present among others.