GUWAHATI, Dec 16: The annual SARAS Mela in Guwahati, which connects rural entrepreneurs with urban consumers, recorded sales of nearly Rs 20 crore this year, more than double the last time.
Panchayat and rural development minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass said on Monday that the total sales during the 16-day fair was Rs 19.69 crore this year. It was Rs 8.74 crore last year.
The SARAS (Sale of Articles of Rural Artisan Society) Mela is an initiative of the Union ministry of rural development. The ‘Asomi SARAS Mela’ is organised under the aegis of the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission.
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Dass said the stall of Purnima Mahila SHG of Lakhimpur district recorded the highest sales at Rs 1.04 crore.
Abhilash SHG of Sivasagar district and Bishbhani JK SHG of Lakhimpur district were at the second and third spots, recording sales of Rs 93.94 lakh and Rs 84.57 lakh, respectively.
The Asomi SARAS Mela, which concluded on Sunday, featured a total of 238 stalls, including 100 from outside the state.
Besides host Assam, 26 other states participated in the fair, the minister said.
Stalls of Assam recorded sales of Rs 11.07 crore, while the stalls from other states sold products worth Rs 6.71 crore. The food stalls did business for Rs 1.91 crore.
“The fair’s continued success highlights its growing popularity. We express our gratitude to the visitors, stallholders, and participants for their active involvement in making the event a success,” Dass said. (PTI)
