A real deal from Sacha Sauda: ketchups, jams

The Sach brand is quite the rage in the Malwa region of Punjab and southern districts of Haryana. The products are made and packed in a modern food processing facility situated near the Dera headquarters in Sirsa. They are subsequently marketed through a chain of distributors spread over the region.

The owner of Jindal Agencies, a distributor based in Bathinda, says: “These products are of topmost quality. They are reasonably priced. If you see sauces and jams produced by MNCs they are beyond the reach of the common man. But in case of Sach products, their hygienic production, modern packing and good taste have made them a big hit.”

He adds that the recent political turmoil has caused some supply chain disturbances and they were struggling to meet the demand.

The product line touts several USPs or Unique Selling Propositions. The bakery products are said to be 100 per cent vegetarian while nothing is fried. Pickles come in 12 varieties while biscuits have 15 variants.

Dera authorities claim that they encourage their followers to be forward looking and support several employment generation programmes, especially those which provide livelihood to the weakest of the society. “Strictly speaking, Dera Sacha Sauda doesn’t have direct ownership in such business enterprises. These are run by our followers who want to settle in Sirsa near the Dera. They are using our name as a brand. We have satisfied ourselves that the products made are vegetarian and that proper standards are followed in their manufacture,” says Dr Aditya, the official spokesperson of the Dera.

He also says that it is unfortunate that people have chosen to focus on “the unfair and untrue accusations” against the Dera. “We don’t like to blow our own trumpet but people need to come and see the actual situation here,” Aditya adds.