Rural handicrafts fair SARAS-2007 gets colourful opening

13 Sep '07

4 min read

Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Union Minister for Rural Development has said that efforts are on to establish centers for proper packaging, branding and marketing for the rural products made by the rural artisans across the country.

Inaugurating the fortnight long rural handicraft fair SARAS – 2007 here the minister said that rural employment is a key to eliminate poverty from the country.

He said that under the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), a pilot scheme of his Ministry to provide employment in the rural areas the BPL families and the women folks are being encouraged to form Self Help Groups.

During the 11th five year plan it will be ensured that that at least one member of every rural family is associated with a Self Help Group engaged in providing respectful earning to the rural masses across the country.

Necessary training and financial help is also being provided to them. Till now handicrafts, food items and handloom products manufactured in the rural areas lags behind for want of proper publicity and marketing avenues, Dr. Singh added.

Lauding the role of SARAS like avenues, the minister said that from seven SARAS fairs in 2003-04 benefiting 3174 SHGs in the country the number has now reached to 24,408 in the year 2006-07.

The sales turnover of Rs.12,59,56,538 crore in 2003-04 has also taken a quantum leap to the tune of Rs. 21,45,40,472 crore during the last financial year. The sale of rural products during the current financial year (2007-08) is so far to the tune of Rs. 83,98,746 lakhs.

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