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Organised by Kudumbashree Mission Saras Mela 2018, the national food and cultural expo, which would offer the best of traditional ethnic food and artistry was kickstarted at the ground near Market, Pattambi, Palakkad on 29 March 2018. Dr. K.T Jaleel, Minister, Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala inaugurated the programme. He also inaugurated the food stalls set up at the Mela.

Saras Fair is not only a platform for the micro entrepreneurs to find market for their rural products, but also, this national festival is a platform which arrange the get together of the diverse yet secular culture of our country. Minister said.

Shri.Muhammad Muhsin, MLA, Pattambi presided over the function. Shri. S.Harikishore, Executive Director, Kudumbashree presented the report. Shri. Paloli Muhammed Kutty, Former Minister, LSGD was felicitated during the function.

More than 4000 Kudumbashree women took part in the procession organised prior to the inaugural function. Micro entrepreneurs from 25 states across the country including Kerala are taking part in the programme. Around 250 stalls are opened, out of which 100 stalls are of other states. The 70,000 sqft big pavilion and food court is the main attraction of the Mela. A sale of Rs 1 lakh was recorded on the inaugural day itself.

The handicrafts that would showcase the heritage and culture of each states, art forms, jewellery, fabrics, utensils etc would be for sale at the Saras Mela.

Apart from the stalls, 22 stalls are opened for food courts out of which 13 are from Kerala and 9 of them are offering cuisines from different states across the country. Dalbaati choorma, Kabakri, Puran Munde Kheer etc are the few of the foods offered by the different states. 45 tables and 315 chairs are set up at the food court for serving the food.

The programme strictly follow the green protocol and is opened from 10 AM to 10 PM. Daily cultural programmes are also arranged in connection with the mela. Entry to Saras Mela is absolutely free.

Adding more colour to Kerala's festive days, Saras Mela 2018 is being an incredible opportunity to get acquainted with the cultural, artistic, traditional, and rich heritage values of different states across the country. The mela would come to an end on 7 April 2018.

Saras Mela 2018, the national food and cultural expo organised by Kudumbashree Mission, that would offer the best of traditional food and artistry is to start at the Ground near the Market, Pattambi, Palakkad on 29 March 2018. Dr. K.T Jaleel. Minister, Local Self government Department, Government of Kerala will officially inaugurate the programme.

entrepreneurs from 25 states across the country including Kerala will be the part of the programme. Around 250 stalls are opened, out of which 100 stalls would be of other states. 75 stalls would be opened by the entrepreneurs from Kerala. 40 stalls would be for the entrepreneurs from Rural Development Department. The handicrafts that would showcase the heritage and culture of each states, art forms, jewellery, fabrics, utensils etc would be for sale at the Saras Mela. The ethnic food prepared by the Kudumbashree women would add more colour to the programme. The 70,000 sqft big pavilion and food court is the main attraction of the Mela. Apart from the stalls, 22 stalls are opened for food courts out of which 13 are for Kerala and 9 of them would offer cuisines from different states across the country.

Saras fairs help the micro entrepreneurs to sell out their products to the consumers without the interventions of the middle men and would help them to grow better business relations and thereby increase their sales. this would in turn help them in earning more income and better life style.

The programme would strictly follow green protocol and would be opened from 10 AM to 10 PM. Only cloth bags and paper bags would be used during the mela. A sale of Rs 6 crore is expected from the mela. Daily cultural programmes are also arranged in connection with the programme. Entry to Saras Mela is absolutely free.

Other than sales stalls, reception, office room, police aid post, medical room, cloak room etc are also arranged. For the security of the public visiting the mela, full time service of police and fire force are also ensured. Convergence with Suchithwa Mission is also ensured for making the Saras mela an ecofriendly one.

Saras Mela 2018 would be an incredible opportunity to get acquainted with the cultural, artistic, traditional, and rich heritage values of different states across the country. Undoubtedly, Saras Mela 2018 would add more colour to the festive days of Kerala. The mela would come to an end on 7 April 2018.

Kudumbashree bagged the award worth Rs 6 crore for the best performance by implementing NULM successfully in 93 Urban Local Bodies in the State. The Award was received by Shri.S. Harikishore, Executive Director, Kudumbashree, Shri. Binu Francis, Programme Officer, Kudumbashree, Shri. Jaison.P.J, Shri. Sudheer.K.B, Shri.Rajesh Kumar, State Programme Managers, Kudumbashree from Shri.Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Urban Affairs Minister, Government of India, at the programme held at Pravasi Bharathi Kendra, New Delhi on 22 March 2018.

The programmes implemented by Kudumbashree during 2017-18 in the urban areas made Kudumbashree qualified for the National Award. Other than the Awards received for Kudumbashree National Resource Organization and National Rural Livelihoods Mission, this is the third National Award Kudumbashree had been receiving this year for the best performance.

The rehabilitation of the street vendors and street dwellers, NHG formation, skill training, making avail loans for finding jobs of one's own, successfully linking the accounts of the beneficiaries with Aadhar were the programmes considered for the award.

Other than National Urban Livelihoods Mission, Kudumbashree is also the nodal agency of the other centrally designed programmes like Pradhan Manthri Awas Yojana, National Rural Livelihoods Mission and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameena Kaushalya Yojana.

Sparsham Campaign, launched aiming at strengthening the activities of Kudumbashree Mission at urban areas and to help reach the advantages of the various programmes implemented by Kudumbashree to the real beneficiaries, is progressing in all urban local bodies across Kerala. The campaign which was launched on 20 February 2018 had reached to almost all beneficiaries. Kudumbashree and the Urban Local Bodies were working together to help all the urban poor in the urban areas to find livelihood of their own. The campaign aims to strengthen the Kudumbashree activities in urban areas and to extend support to those who wish to start enterprises. Kudumbashree had ensured the assistance of local Self Government Departments for the same.

NHG grading, improve linkage activities, formation of new NHGs, rejuvenating the inactive NHGs in the urban areas, to introduce the NULM, PMAY programmes to the NHG office bearers, to make the NHG members actively participate in the NHG activities are the other main aims of the programme.

The information on various funds extended by Kudumbashree are also introduced to the beneficiaries through the programme. The campaign is being implemented by a team of 60 city mission managers, 70 city technical cell managers, 93 multi task persons, more than 100 community organisers, District Mission Co-ordinators, Assistant District Mission Co-ordinators, Urban local bodies secretaries, project staff, CDS chairpersons etc.

As part of the campaign, NHG meetings are being organised in the 46000 NHGs in 93 ULBs. The details about those who hadn't availed the benefits from Kudumbashree are also being collected. Its expected that the data collection would be completed by 20 March 2018.

The Pradhan Manthri Awas Yojana (Urban)[ PMAY (U)] programme under Central- State Ministries which works with the mission of achieving 'Housing for All' and National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) programme which enable the urban poor to find a livelihood of their own are implemented through Kudumbashree Mission. The campaign envisages to reach the advantages of these programmes to the real beneficiaries to the maximum. It is planned to spend Rs 10,000 crores in constructing the houses for the needy in the next financial year. Government will give Rs 4 lakh to the urban homeless who have plots of their own. There are 7,38,704 families dwelling in the urban areas. Even now, around 1 lakh urban poor are out of those NHGs. The campaign is being organised for including such urban poor to the NHGs.

Once the campaign would be finished, those who hadn't availed the benefits could be identified and can be extended the same.

Bhakshya Suraksha Bhavanam' (Food Security Home), the programme that was launched to attain self sufficiency in vegetable production is successfully progressing in all districts across the state. The NHG women had welcomed the programme with open hearts and now 20 lakh families attained self sufficiency by cultivating needed vegetables of their own.

The programme promotes vegetable farming among Kudumbashree women in NHG level and are making avail the cultivated vegetables to the needy as well. Proper trainings were given to all those who were getting enrolled in the 'Bakshya Suraksha Bhavanam' programme. Best quality seeds were also distributed to them on the training day itself.

Master farmers and JEVA team gave training to the groups and Master farmer were trained by master farmer trainers. Training was given to the groups on the topics such as the need of farming, tips to maintain the cultivation successfully, kitchen waste disposal and making of bio fertilizers etc. Every member was given a packet of high quality seeds worth Rs.20, from Kudumbashree Units, Vegetable & Fruit promotion Council Kerala (VFPCK), Kerala Agriculture University and other government organisations. The families that cultivate vegetables under this programme are regarded as ' Bhakshya Suraksha Bhavanam' ( Food Security Homes). Specially designed logo stickers are distributed and the same is being pasted in every Food security homes.

The NHG members who wish to be part of the programme were divided into different groups, each consisting of 4 members. NHGs had to register at the concerned CDS by remitting an amount of Rs.10. The groups were advised to renew the registration during every season. Each groups should cultivate at least in a minimum of 3 cents of land and they can cultivate in up to 25 cents of land. If the group intend to do grow bag farming, each member should cultivate at least 5 varieties of vegetables in a minimum of 20 grow bags.

The programme was started all over Kerala in 17 August 2017 (Chingam 1). Initially NHG members of 6 lakh families were given training and seeds were distributed. Those families had harvested vegetables several times till now. As per the present statistics, more than 20 lakh families are pursuing farming in this manner. Special NHGs like elderly NHGs and BUDS School students are also taking part in ' Bhakshya Suraksha Bhavanam' ( Food Security Homes) programme.

To ensure the sustainable development of 43 lakh women in 2,77,175 Neighbourhood Groups through social, cultural and educational interventions, Kudumbashree Mission is getting ready to launch Community Radio. Through community radio, the benefits and the information on the centrally and state sponsored programmes implemented by Kudumbashree Mission would reach the real beneficiaries in no time. In the first phase, the community radio service would be launched in the Malappuram of Kerala.

The details of the programmes implemented by Kudumbashree in the state, job opportunities, financial assistance provided, information on various campaigns, information on sales exhibitions, informative programmes, programmes focusing on Balasabhas, awareness programmes, success stories of Kudumbashree units, success stories of individuals, circulars from state mission, information on various programmes of Government, messages from District Collectors, District Mission Co-ordinators, Phone in Programmes of Ministers, Executive Director etc would be included in the programmes. Special programmes for NHGs would be broadcasted weekly, through which women empowerment would be made possible in more systematic a way. A live programme in which the Executive Director of Kudumbashree Mission answers to the questions of Kudumbashree members would also be included.

The community radio programme of Kudumbashree would be implemented associating with Broadcasting Engineering Consultants Limited, New Delhi working under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. It is expected to start the community radio by June 2018.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs selected 7 Area Development Societies of Kudumbashree for ‘Swachhatha Excellency Awards’ for the notable interventions made by them in the sanitation programmes.The award will be distributed by the Hon. Minister for Urban Affairs at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, Dr. Rizal Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi on 23 March 2018.

Four ADSs of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, one ADS of Kodungalloor Municipality and two ADSs of Malappuram Municipality are the ADS who bagged the prizes. The 7 ADSs include Kazhakoottam ADS, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Kalady ADS, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Kulathoor ADS, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Punnakkamughal ADS, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Chappara ADS, Kodungalloor Municipality, Thamarakuzhi ADS & Moonnampadi ADS, Malappuram Municipality.

The Awards are for the various interventions Kudumbashree ADSs made in vector control, waste disposal mechanisms, awareness campaigns, organic manure promotion, grow bag cultivation, plastic recycling etc. The first prize will be Rs. 1.5 lakh along with the certificate.