Kolkata: 14th Saras Mela inaugurated at Salt Lake Central Park

KOLKATA: The 14th Saras Mela was inaugurated at Salt Lake's Central Park fair ground on Thursday. State panchayat and rural development department minister Subrata Mukherjee inaugurated the fair. Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation mayor Sabyasachi Dutta, state fire services minister Sujit Bose, women and child development and social welfare department minister Dr Sashi Panja and others were present on the ocassion.

Self help group member artisans from about 20 states of the country are participating to sell their handicrafts and textile products in the fair. Stalls have been allotted to the self help groups by different departments, organisations and supported by several banks. A total of 345 stalls have been set up in the fair, out of which 25 stalls are in the food court where traditional food from the rural areas will be served.

The West Bengal government has been organising this mela to promote the self help group members from the rural areas of the districts so that they can put up their handicraft and textile products for display and sale in the urban areas. Besides, artisans of several states of the country also get the opportunity to put up their products.