Lucknow Mahotsav: agri fair takes a hit as

The administration is now planning to just have an agri pavilion if they are unable to fund the fair.

The in-charge of the fair and Chief Development Officer of Lucknow,Kaushal Raj Sharma,said: “We have been talking with several companies and have asked them to cooperate with us.”

“We have given them other options like if they cannot take the entire pavilion,they can take stalls which would turn out to be much cheaper,” added Sharma.

The Lucknow Mahotsav is an annual event to promote tourism in the district and bring the best of artisans along with corporates on the same platform.

The Mahotsav is scheduled to be held at Aashiana Park from November 25 to December 5. Besides the cultural pandal and the crafts and electronics fair,the district administration,which is a part of the organising committee,had planned that an agri-fair would also be organised.

The administration had estimated that the agri fair would cost around Rs 35 lakh,which they planned to raise through sponsorships.

“The charges for the agri stalls and pavilions ranged between Rs 10,000 per day to Rs 35,000,which was less than the main mahotsav stalls. We were allowing the companies to advertise their products among farmers,” said a district official.

According to sources,the seed companies have expressed their inability to take stalls owing to the delay in rabi season.

“Since there has been a delay in the rabi sowing,we have not made much sales so far,” said a representative of a seed company.