Mahila Udyog Mela: State shedding 'untouchable' tag

PATNA: It appears Bihar is no longer feared. The message has gone out across the country that a visitor can not only survive in Bihar but can also do brisk business. No wonder then that the 11th Bihar Mahila Udyog Mela, which is run solely by women entrepreneurs, is getting business inquiries from states which never participated in any business fair in this state before. The September 14-to-18 fair is likely to see participation from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra this year. "This is unprecedented. Till now our participants would be mainly from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. But this year we have been flooded with inquiries from other states," said Bihar Mahila Udyog Sangh president Pushpa Chopra. She said entrepreneurs from Patiala, Haryana, Delhi, Lucknow, Pune, Kolkata and Andhra Pradesh have confirmed their participation. They have also booked stalls at the fair. "It is not just about an individual's enterprise. But these states would be sending clusters of women accompanied by a staff of the government as well," Chopra said. From Andhra Pradesh, an entire team of lace makers would come. The number of participants from West Bengal is expected to go up this year. A woman entrepreneur said, "Till now women from other states were afraid of visiting Bihar. They often told us that they had heard all kinds of stories and would rather stay away. But this year there is a sense of confidence among the same people. They are now willing to come and showcase their products."....

So this year apart from the usual saris, kurtas, bed covers and handicraft items, visitors can also purchase original phulkari embroidery from the Patiala stalls, and admire the handicraft of Maharashtra. However, the limited space inside the Miller School ground, the fair venue, is set to be a dampener. Though the number of participants is set to increase, the organisers have not been able to majorly increase the number of stalls. Said Chopra, "We would urge the government to join hands with us and help us organise the fair on a larger scale from next year onwards."