Varanasi, 02 March

(HS): The 11-day long regional (national level) Saras Mela, organised at the

sports ground of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi, concluded in the

presence of Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. Women's

groups from different states and districts of Uttar Pradesh did business worth

approximately Rs 1 crore in this residential fair. The main items in the Saras

Mela were decorative items, food offerings, brass items, pickles, leather goods,

artificial jewellery, kurtis, bedsheets, carpets, jute products, munj products,

etc.

Amba Shri Neelam Varanasi, Rita Devi Jharkhand,

Kavita Devi Saharanpur and Seema Devi Hardoi shared their success stories in

the programme. Addressing the women of the group on this occasion, Deputy Chief

Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya called for adding more women to the group. He

called for including one crore women in the Lakhpati Mahila Club in the state

and making them crorepati women. He announced organising Saras Mela in the

coming days so that other women can also come forward and work after being inspired

by the women coming from other states and other districts. He also praised the

work of the women and their products.

The Deputy Chief Minister inspected the stalls and

also took information about the products. He appreciated the work of the food

court set up by the Aajeevika Mission. In the function, the Deputy Chief

Minister honored two insurance friends of Varanasi, Meena Devi and Pratibha

Devi, and two lakhpati women, Sharmila Devi and Lakshmi Verma, by giving them

certificates. Symbolic cheques of Rs. 10 crore 60 lakh 50 thousand were

provided to 703 groups of the district under the Community Investment Fund and

to 20 groups under the Revolving Fund. Along with this, e-rickshaws were

provided to the women of two groups and certificates were distributed to them.

The Lakhimpur Kheri group was awarded the first

prize, and the Mirzapur district was awarded the second prize for the highest

sales at the fair. Leather and bamboo products were sold and exhibited at both

stalls. Owner Mardan Shah Group of Ghazipur was honored for the most beautiful

stall decoration. Chief Development Officer Prakhar Kumar Singh reported on the

fair's achievements and the progress of the Livelihood Mission.

Mayor Ashok

Tiwari, District Panchayat President Poonam Maurya, Legislative Council Member

Hansraj Vishwakarma, Dharmendra Singh, former Mayor Kaushalendra Singh, and

others were also present at the event. A workshop on packaging, branding, and

marketing was also held. The program was conducted by Sujit Choubey, and the vote

of thanks was given by the Deputy Commissioner of Self-Employment.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi