Saras Mela: A Platform for Promoting Local Products and Empowering Women, Deputy CM Sao
Raipur, March 9
Deputy Chief Minister and in-charge minister of Bilaspur district, Shri Arun Sao, inaugurated the divisional Saras Mela today at the Mungeli Naka Ground in Bilaspur. While inaugurating the fair, he emphasized that the Saras Mela plays a vital role in strengthening the rural economy by providing a market for local products and empowering women and rural communities. He highlighted how self-help group (SHG) women are becoming self-reliant and contributing to their families’ financial stability. Women from various districts of the division have come to showcase their skills, inspiring others to take steps toward self-sufficiency.
A total of 55 self-help groups from the Bilaspur division have set up 52 stalls at the fair to exhibit and sell their products. The Saras Mela will continue until March 12.
During the event, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Sao visited all the stalls, interacted with women entrepreneurs, and encouraged them. Several dignitaries accompanied him, including MLAs Shri Dharamlal Kaushik, Shri Dharamjeet Singh, Shri Dilip Lahariya, Shri Sushant Shukla, Mayor Smt. Pooja Vidhani, District Panchayat President Shri Rajesh Suryavanshi, Collector Shri Avneesh Sharan, SP Shri Rajnesh Singh, DFO Shri Satyadev Sharma, Municipal Commissioner Shri Amit Kumar, and District Panchayat CEO Shri Sandeep Agrawal.
Government Initiatives for Women’s Empowerment
Addressing the gathering as the chief guest, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Arun Sao stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai have launched several schemes for women’s empowerment. Initiatives like the Mahatari Vandan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, and Lakhpati Didi Yojana are significantly improving the lives of women. These schemes have helped women become stronger, enabling them to contribute to their families and society’s development.
He proudly noted that self-help group women in villages are now becoming millionaires (Lakhpati Didis). At the Saras Mela, they have brought a variety of products for sale, from Bijauri to Gulal, showcasing their confidence and entrepreneurial spirit.
Shri Sao concluded by emphasizing that a society can only be strong if its women are empowered and self-reliant. He reiterated Prime Minister Modi’s vision of making every SHG woman a Lakhpati Didi, encouraging them to contribute to the vision of a developed and prosperous India.