Guwahati, 23 February (HS): Union Minister for Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday formally inaugurated the Asomi Saros Mela 2025-26 in the presence of Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Das. The fair, organised by the Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission, is being held at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati and will continue till March 8.
The mela features over 250 stalls showcasing products made by Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from Assam and various other states. Items on display include Assam’s traditional Muga Mekhela-Chador, GI-tagged water hyacinth products, bamboo and cane crafts, masks and other handmade goods. Products from other states such as Kolhapuri footwear from Maharashtra, black raisins, Kosa sarees from Chhattisgarh, Khadi kurtas and handcrafted jewellery from Goa are also available. Traditional food stalls representing different states have also been set up.
Addressing the gathering, Chouhan described the women associated with Self-Help Groups as shining examples of women empowerment and urged them to resolve to become “Lakhpati Didis.” He stressed the need for organising buyer-seller meets to ensure better marketing platforms for SHG products and announced that steps would be taken to establish permanent C-Mart outlets in every district across India to facilitate year-round sales. He also called upon women to unite under SHGs to ensure that no woman remains economically deprived. The Union Minister lauded the initiatives taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the national level and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the state for strengthening women empowerment.
Speaking on the occasion, Ranjeet Kumar Das said the relevance and scale of Asomi Saros Mela have steadily increased over the years. He noted that while sales stood at ₹4.18 crore in 2021, the figure rose to nearly ₹20 crore in 2024, reflecting growing public response. He appealed to citizens and offices to actively purchase SHG products to encourage women entrepreneurs and expressed gratitude to participants from Assam and other states.
Additional Chief Secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development Department Dr B Kalyan Chakravarthy delivered the welcome address, while ASRLM State Mission Director Kuntalmoni Sharma Bordoloi offered the vote of thanks. Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, Shailesh Kumar Singh, also addressed the gathering. Among others present were MP Bijuli Kalita Medhi, MLAs Atul Bora, Siddhartha Bhattacharya and Ramendra Narayan Kalita, along with senior officials from the Union Ministry of Rural Development.---------
Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash
