Jamshedpur, March 25: It is time again for the steel city to get the best bargain in Indian handicraft.

Tribal Cultural Society (TCS), a non-profit voluntary organisation which is a part of Corporate Sustainability Services department of Tata Steel, is set to organise Gram Shree Mela 2007-2008 at Gopal Maidan from March 27 to April 5.

This mela plays a vital role in facilitating the marketing process of rural produce by bringing together the producers and the buyers.

An annual event in the city calendar, this is the 16th year of the mela. The event is being jointly organised by the Council of Advancement of Peoples’ Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), an autonomous body under the aegis of ministry of rural development, Government of India.

Over 200 stalls would be set up at the mega fair. Over 15 states are expected to make their presence felt at the seminar.

“Such events help in income generation for the community and tribals and provides them with better standards of living,” said Satish Pillai, the chief of corporate sustainability services, Tata Steel.

“The mela has expanded its role beyond the buyer-seller interface and become a platform for exchanging ideas on product improvements, design development and expert advice on packaging and pricing, which eventually ensures a better product range with higher returns reaching the producer groups directly,” said officials.

The total returns for the artisans amounted to over Rs 2,000 lakh in the past 16 years. The sales at Jamshedpur have progressed from mere Rs 6 lakh in 1992 to Rs 57 lakh in 2007.

And while an array of indigenous handicraft and tribal product would mark the main attraction, another major part of the traditional function would be the cultural events lined up for the venue.