Steel, Mines and labour Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick inaugurated the first loka Kala Mahotsav and national level Pallishree Mela in Dhenkanal on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion, Mallick said arrangement of Pallishree Mela and loka Kala Mahotsav will help promote hidden talents in urban and rural areas.
Attending the inaugural ceremony as guest of honour State Co-operative Bank President Akhaya Mohanty said looking to the future growth of Dhenkanal town and growing footfalls during lakshmi Puja, the discussion of shifting the Pallishreemela to Mahisapat close to NH-55 is praiseworthy. Among others, Zilla Parishad President Binodini Samal, district Collector Rupa Roshan Sahoo, Project Director DRDA Madhu Sudan Mishra and Sub Collector Abani Kanta Pattnaik spoke.
The Pallishree Mala-2016, organised by the District Administration, the ORMAS and the District Kala Sanskruti Sangha, was sponsored by Rural Development, Panchayati Raj departments, handicraft and cottage industries, NABARD and Mission Shakti. Rural artisans and Self Help Groups from Punjab, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Karnatak, Chatisgarh, Maharastra, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Gujrat, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Telengana and also from the 30 districts of Odisha displayed their products in 295 stalls. Besides official source claimed around 628 village artisans have taken part in the Mela. Colourful cultural programmes were organised in night.