Itanagar: In order to give the Rural Marts supported by NABARD throughout the state a marketing opportunity, NABARD, Arunachal Pradesh, organised the Arun Shilpa Mela, an Exhibition-cum-Sale mela.
Initiating the four-day event, which took place from February 2 to February 5 in the facilities of the NABARD Regional Office, was inaugurated by Chief Secretary Dharmendra in the presence of GM of NABARD Partho Saha, Director of Handloom Textiles, Chairman of KVIB, and others.
The Chief Secretary showed keen interest in the extensive selection of goods, which included exquisite handicraft items, traditional handloom textiles, processed farm products like pickles, jam, honey, and mustard oil, as well as beads and ornaments, as he toured all the booths and inquired about the labour force employed, the process involved, the source of raw materials, and turnover. He expressed his satisfaction at the involvement of up to 15 stalls from the most remote area of the state and the exposure the event gave them.
The Rural Marts, also known as Grameen Dukaans, are essentially SHG, SHG Federation, or FPO marketing shops that receive financial support from NABARD as part of their mission to provide end-to-end solutions for micro-enterprises.
Assistance is given for skill development, common facility centres, the promotion of producer organisations, and market linkage via the various grant-based interventions of NABARD. The Marts, which have also served as their personal business schools, have helped the rural women overcome considerable challenges to attain economic sustainability.
The participants of this event also interacted, encouraging the sharing of ideas and cross-selling of goods. At the inauguration, Partho Saha, General Manager, NABARD, stated: "In the last two years, 16 Rural Marts and as many as 13 Rural Haats have been sanctioned in the state."
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