Pallishree Mela kiosks under construction for this year’s Bali yatra in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Nov. 12: The Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society will use biodegradable packaging material and carry bags to make a polythene-free Pallishree Mela in Bali yatra.

The Pallishree Mela, 2013, which is organised by the society, a panchayati raj department wing, will be the largest participant in the week-long Bali yatra this year. The fair will house more than 300 kiosks to sale ethnic and rural crafts of Odisha and 27 other states across the country.

The Bali yatra will start on the Mahanadi riverbank from November 17. Around 1,400 kiosks are expected to come up on the fair ground this year.

“While all the kiosks in the Pallishree Mela will deliver goods in paper, net, cotton or jute bags, at least five kiosks will be set up to offer only biodegradable packaging materials and carry bags,” the society’s chief executive officer (Cuttack chapter) Bipin Rout told The Telegraph.

The society organises the fair in association with the Cuttack district administration. Ethnic and rural crafts from other states have always been a major attraction to the fair on the yatra ground. With a daily footfall of about two to three lakh people, the business in the Pallishree Mela last year was of around Rs 9 crore.

Rout said: “The main objective is to popularise various ethnic and rural products of Odisha and other states.”

Another official said that among the varied ethnic handicrafts and handlooms, there would be cane and bamboo items from Tripura and Meghalaya, cotton and silk from Bengal, decorative items from northeast, incense items from Mysore, Kanjivaram saris from Tamil Nadu and chikan works from Lucknow.

District collector Girish S.N. said: “The Pallishree Mela has been attracting participants from various parts of the state and the country as it has been creating opportunities for producers to build up long-term marketing tie-ups with prospective buyers.”