Suman Dahal

Pokhara, January 31:

Pokhara is gearing up for the nine-day long Industrial Trade Fair-2061, beginning from Tuesday. The Fair is being organised to mark the golden jubilee of Pokhara Chambers of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). The fair is being organised with support from the ministry for industries, commerce and supplies, FNCCI and PCCI to promote domestic goods and services and to find market for the same. Prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba would inaugurate the special programme at Basundhara Park, Baidam on Tuesday morning. A total of 270 stalls are installed to display products at the fair, coordinator of Stall Management Sub-Committee informed. The organisers have claimed that the fair would be more beneficial to common people than past fairs. The organisers are giving special focus on automobiles and information technology, considering its increased importance. Rajendra Kumar Lalchan, chairman of Industrial Trade Fair working committee, said that there would be some seminars related to IT to make the fair more interesting for visitors. A separate space has been set up for IT section. A substantial number of IT related commercial and educational institutions are participating at the fair. Several automobile companies would also be occupying 41 stalls to display their products. There is a special subsidy for agriculture-related stalls. Organisers believed that the fair would be able to encourage farmers to use technology to increase production.

The fair would also have stalls for handicrafts and cottage industry goods, not only from Pokhara but also from other parts of the country. The goods being displayed at the fair would range from forest resource-based goods to handlooms, food and medicinal herbs.

The organisers hoped that the exhibition of such goods would help in market promotion and industrialisation. Flower exhibition and cultural programmes are expected to increase the importance of the fair. The organisers will hold national dohori song competition and musical programmes during the nine-day long industrial fair. Students would get 50 per cent concession on entrance tickets. The secretariat of the fair has informed that the event is being organised to exhibit industrial products and inform people about them, rather than gaining monetary profit. But, organisers hope to save upto two million rupees and to attract about 200,000 visitors. There is a special prize for the best stall.

The estimated budget for the programme is Rs 2.5 million.