AGARTALA, Jan 3 (TIWN): Rural Development Minister Naresh Jamatia inaugurated the 11th ‘Saras Fair’ on Saturday at Agartala international fair ground in Hapania area in the presence of other dignitaries.

Like every year the fair was inaugurated at the Agartala international fair ground and exhibition centre. The program was also followed by several cultural activities.

The fair began from January 2 and will continue till January 13.

The fair is organised under the initiative of Rural Development Department (RDD).

However, AMC Mayor Prafullajit Sinha, West DM Millkind Ramteke along with other dignitaries remained present in the program.

 Addressing in the inaugural ceremony Minister Naresh Jamatia said that the Tripura government had mooted the idea of organizing saras fair to boost the self-help groups a few years ago but this has now emerged as a major source of trade event in the state.

He also stressed on the need of good packaging and quality assurance of SHG products and asked them to go for local demand-based production.

He also pointed out that to facilitate self-employment opportunity and upgrade the skill of poor section of the society.

''Tripura is the first state in the Northeast which has coined the idea under state supported project to develop small scale industries as well as to eradicate poverty,'' said Jamatia

The main objective of the project is to ensure income generation activity and eradicate poverty in the state and at the same time, the SHGs would be mobilized for developing small scale industry, Naresh Jamatia added.

A total of 65 lakhs is spent for organising the fair. However, there are 378 stalls in the fail; for the year 2016.

Apart there are 11 hostels for accommodation of the people under SHG.

A total of 2500 people participated in the inaugural day.

However, participants from Maharashtra, Hariyana, Gujrat, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and J&K participated in the fair.