Daijiworld Media Network - Amaravati
Amaravati, Oct 12: President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate the national-level SARAS Mela in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, on October 15. The event will showcase products made by women belonging to self-help groups (SHGs) from across the country.
The SARAS Mela (Sale of Articles of Rural Artisans Society) is being organised jointly by the Union Ministry of Rural Development and the Andhra Pradesh government. More than 600 stalls will be set up at the mela to display a wide range of products made by women SHG members.
President Murmu will visit Andhra Pradesh on October 14 and 15. According to the draft itinerary, she will arrive from Delhi at Gannavaram Airport at 6.25 p.m. on October 14. She will then travel by road to Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada to offer prayers to Goddess Kanaka Durga between 7.20 p.m. and 7.40 p.m.
After an overnight stay in Vijayawada, the President will reach Punnami Ghat at 11.30 a.m. on October 15 to inaugurate the SARAS Mela.
Following the inauguration, she will attend a luncheon with members of self-help groups and 'Lakhpati Didis'. The President is scheduled to reach Gannavaram Airport at 2.45 p.m. before departing for Delhi.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad on Monday reviewed the arrangements for the President's visit to Vijayawada and said elaborate preparations were being made to ensure the smooth conduct of the programme.
He held a virtual meeting with officials from various departments and issued instructions on the preparations required for the visit.
The Chief Secretary directed officials to strictly adhere to protocol norms and ensure that there was no room for errors. He stressed the need to meticulously follow the guidelines issued by the President's Secretariat.
According to an official release, Sai Prasad specifically instructed officials to ensure that every programme in the President's minute-by-minute itinerary was executed punctually and without delays. He also directed the concerned departments to put robust arrangements in place for their respective areas of responsibility.
J. Shyamala Rao, Principal Secretary of the State General Administration Department, participated in the virtual meeting and outlined the department-wise arrangements required for the President's visit.