Pallishree Mela, a right platform to market rural products: Kalpataru

Rourkela: Pallishree Mela is a useful platform for the people depending on self-employment projects and activities to market their products, said Panchayatiraj Minister Kalpataru Das while inaugurating Pallishree Mela at Exhibition ground here yesterday.

At a time when people are attracted more towards MNC branded products than the traditional ones, the minister observed, adding that this Mela will provide the right opportunity for crafts persons and consumers to interact, thereby creating a unique market avenue for both.

The Panchayatiraj Minister said that though the concept of Pallishree Mela was developed in 1989, it was organized in Rourkela in 1998 and subsequently it attracted more and more trained and self employed persons, mostly women drawn from various parts of the district.

As many as 165 SHGs with their various products have taken part in the mela. A host of products including terracotta, tassar products, dhocra casting, decorative items, applique, cane and bamboo furniture, knitwear, jute products, dry flowers, kitchen wares, carpets, wood products, artificial jewellery, metal craft, paper machine, chanderi saree, phulkari dress materials, tribal painting and tribal jewellery, madhubani paintings, stylish jooti, Mirajapuri carpet, silk sari and dress materials, horn craft, food items like sattu, spices, pickles, papad, dal are attracting crowds in hordes.

Kandhamal haldi, Nayagarh moong dal and Boudh Arhar dal are also available at the mela.

Products from Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Andra Pradesh are on display.

For smooth conduct of the mela, a co-ordination cell has been opened at the Mela ground to inform people about various day-to-day activities.

Speaking on the occasion, Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya, Project Director, DRDA, Sundargarh, said a wide range of attractive and beautiful handicrafts and loom products have been showcased in 150 stalls. Briefing the activities of the 10-day mela, Upadhyaya stated that though rains had played spoilsport with the mela last year, it still logged a business turnover of Rs 71.05 lakh, and this year it could generate over Rs 1.5 crore. The mela is being organized by ORMAS in collaboration with the district administration of Sundargarh. It will continue till October 19.

Among others Subrat Tarai Minister of State, Commerce and Transport, Sarada Prasad Nayak, MLA Rourkela, ADM Rourkela Rabindranath Mishra, DIPRO, Rourkela Ajay Kumar Jena, Petrush Toppo, President, Zilla Parishad, Sundargarh, Rashmi Bala Mishra, Chairman Rourkela Municipality, Sub-Collector S B Mishra, Executive Officer, Rourkela Municipality Bijay Swain were present.