Self-Help Group women evicted from SARAS Fair despite Revanth’s empowerment claims

At the SARAS Fair 2025 in Hyderabad, several Self-Help Group women were asked to vacate their stalls to accommodate participants from other states, despite earlier government promises of support. The fair, inaugurated by Minister D. Anasuya, was meant to empower SHG women, but many now allege mismanagement, lack of facilities, and broken assurances.

Hyderabad: Even as the Congress government boasts of empowering Self-Help Group (SHG) women and transforming them into crorepatis, women entrepreneurs say they are facing a raw deal on the ground.

At the inauguration of the SARAS Fair 2025 at Indira Mahila Shakthi Bazar beside Shilparamam on Friday, about a dozen SHG women were forced to vacate their stalls, ironically at an event formally opened by Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister D Anasuya.

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The Indira Mahila Shakthi Bazar is a pet project of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who inaugurated it on December 5 last year with the promise of extending full support to SHG women and turning them into crorepatis.

In stark contrast to those assurances, women associated with SHGs were told to vacate their stalls to make way for participants from other States. The venue has 106 stalls that showcase handicrafts, handlooms and other products manufactured by SHG women tied to organisations including SERP, MEPMA, We-Hub, ALEAP and TRIFED.

“We are not against women from other States and districts being supported through the fair, but why are we being asked to vacate our stalls? The government could have arranged more stalls,” one SHG woman said.

Another woman alleged that SERP officials issued abrupt orders to vacate the stalls and even threatened to dump their stocks on the roadside.

“Despite pleading for time, they refused,” she complained.

Women from We-Hub cited agreements signed with the government, but officials instead provided two women with a single stall, forcing them to sell products in cramped conditions.

Traditionally, SARAS Fairs are organised at Necklace Road, where there is ample space. This time, a few temporary stalls were set up at Mahila Shakthi Bazar, but they were inadequate to accommodate all SHGs.

The women also raised concerns about facilities. In previous years, SHG participants from different districts were given accommodation, transport and food.

“All these facilities have now been stopped for reasons best known to the officials. Is this the way the government aims to transform one crore women into crorepatis?” one woman asked.