Surathkal MLA J Krishna Palemar inaugurated the North East crafts fair in Hotel Woodlands premises here on Wednesday. It is an exhibition cum demonstration cum sale of the unique handicrafts and handloom products of the North Eastern states of India including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The exhibition has been organised by the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited and is sponsored by the office of the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts under the Union ministry of textiles.

Speaking to media persons on the occasion, Deputy General Manager of the Corporation D C Borkotoky said that the objective of the expo is to promote sales of handicrafts, increase awareness in favour of handicrafts, expose craftsmen to the market and launch new products and designs for trial and promotion. The government bears all expenses of the craftsmen including their travel and accommodation, while they have to interact with the customers to gain fresh ideas regarding the needs of the market, he added.

There are certain works from Luknow, Agra, Orissa and West Bengal too in the expo. A discount of 10 per cent is offered for cane furniture. The expo will go on till August 22.