Agartala: Agartala, the capital of Tripura, is set to host the 2nd 'Urban Prosperity Festival' at the Shishu Udyan premises. This one-of-a-kind event will be held from February 25 to March 3. Urban Development Department Secretary Abhishek Singh shared the development with Business Northeast during an exclusive conversation.

"The 8-day festival, organized by the Tripura Urban Livelihood Mission, promises a rich showcase with altogether 132 stalls," shared Singh. This would include 11 stalls dedicated to self-help groups (SHGs) from the Northeast Indian region, encompassing Manipur, Assam, and Mizoram. 

"Additionally, there will be 10 stalls each for Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission, street vendors, and banks, while 91 stalls will feature products from Tripura Urban Livelihood Mission and various government departments,"  he said.

The official informed us that Chief Minister Manik Saha is scheduled to inaugurate the festival on the afternoon of February 25, adding a "significant touch" to the grand occasion.

In alignment with the successful model of 'Saras Mela' in rural areas, the Urban Prosperity Utsav initiated last year focuses on promoting self-help groups in urban settings. Agartala currently boasts around 10,000 self-help groups, comprising approximately 1 lakh members. The festival aims to bring together various self-help groups from 20 cities and urban areas, including the Agartala Pur Corporation, street vendors, and other groups from the Northeast region to showcase their diverse products.

The Urban Development Department Secretary highlighted the commitment to environmental sustainability by revealing plans to distribute free plastic alternative bags to all participating self-help groups. "Moreover, to add an element of excitement, a daily lucky draw will take place, offering attractive prizes to the selected winners,"  he said.