Gomati, Feb 06. he third Gomati district-level Saras Mela 2026 was inaugurated on Thursday at the KBI Ground, Udaipur.
The five-day fair is being organised by the Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM) in collaboration with the Gomati District Mission Management Unit.
Alongside the Saras Mela, district-level Fisheries Festival and exhibitions and competitions of vegetables, flowers and organic produce were also inaugurated.
The programme was formally inaugurated by Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Among others present were MLA Jitendra Majumder, Gomati Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati Debal Deb Roy, Udaipur Municipal Council Chairperson Shital Chandra Majumder, Additional District Magistrates Subhash Acharya and Sanjit Debbarma, panchayat representatives and senior officials of various departments.
Addressing the gathering, Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy said that under the TRLM initiative, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have been organised into clusters to help women collectively market their products and create sustainable income opportunities. He added that the objective of the government is to encourage women who are yet to join SHGs and bring them into the livelihood network.
Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, the Finance Minister said that women empowerment through SHGs has broken the traditional notion that women are limited to household roles, enabling them to contribute actively to society and the economy.
As part of implementing the Prime Minister’s vision, the state government has undertaken the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ initiative by forming SHGs across Tripura. Currently, more than 55,000 SHGs have been formed in the state. In Gomati district, out of 1,07,700 families, 7,557 SHGs are actively involved in livelihood activities.
The theme of this year’s Saras Mela is “Choose Swadeshi, Take Rural India Forward.” On the occasion, the Finance Minister also released the third edition of the book ‘Gomati Lakhpati Didi’.
Organised by TRLM, the District Mission Management Unit and the Rural Development Department, the fair features 80 stalls showcasing SHG products. The Saras Mela will continue till February 9.
Speaking on the occasion, Gomati Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati Debal Deb Roy said that the district currently has over 7,000 Lakhpati Didis, and efforts are underway to increase the number to more than 8,000 by 2027.
During the programme, five SHGs from Gomati district were felicitated for achieving the highest sales at the state-level regional Saras Mela held at Hapania, Agartala. Additionally, eight fish farmers from different blocks of the district were also honoured.
