CUTTACK: The historic Baliyatra festival concluded here on Thursday with vendors registering record business this year.The biggest fair of the state, organised after a gap of two years by the district administration and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) was extended by a day by the state government on the civic body’s request. The fair not only brought cheers to traders but it also entered the Guinness Book of World Records with over 2,100 students of 22 schools making 22,000 paper boats in just 35 minutes. The event was organised at Barabati Stadium.
Meanwhile, state-run Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS), which had set up 470 stalls including 30 food outlets at its national-level Pallishree Mela, registered sales of over Rs 21 crore by the end of the day. The society had registered business worth Rs 15 crore in 2019.
Women entrepreneurs of different self help groups and producer groups from 30 districts across Odisha, artisans from 18 other states like Assam, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Delhi, West Bengal, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Jharkhand also participated in the Pallishree Mela. Governor Ganeshi Lal was the chief guest at the closing ceremony and felicitated PD, DRDA, Ambar Kar and Joint CEO, ORMAS, Cuttack Bipin Rout.