Bengaluru, Apr 6: The Karnataka government aims to add 30,000 micro enterprises to the existing 50,000 such businesses, State Minister C N Ashwath Narayan said on Wednesday.

The government aims to further create 30,000 micro enterprises, led by self-help group women. There are now 50,000 micro enterprises, said Narayan, who holds the Higher Education, IT/BT, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood portfolio.

He was addressing reporters on Sanjeevini Saras' a national fair of SHG (self-help group) women which is scheduled here from April 8 to April 18.

A total of 310 stalls, including 160 from different parts of the country, would be set up at the fair, he said.

He said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai would inaugurate the fair in which SHGs would showcase skills, potential and work of women.

The participating women would also sell their products such as handloom, handicraft, artefacts, heritage products, garments, decorative items, earthen utensils, paintings, organic food items, spices and processed food, said the Minister.

The fair is being organised annually by NLM (National Rural Livelihood Mission) with the support of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Authority (MoHUA).

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New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Thursday asserted that the Left movement would remain relevant despite not being in power in any state, saying the ideology would continue to endure as long as social and economic inequalities persist.

Hitting back at BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar over his reported remarks that Marxism had become irrelevant, Baby, in an interview with PTI Videos, said, "So long as there is division in society, so long as there is exploitation of the majority of workers, peasants and ordinary masses by a handful of billionaires, Marxism will remain relevant."

"That perhaps Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar may not be able to understand, but this is the fact of the matter," he said.

Baby acknowledged that the CPI(M)-led Left was currently without an elected government in any state, but maintained that electoral setbacks would not diminish the movement's role.

"We may not have an elected government in any state. There were occasions when we didn't have a government. But the red flag and the commitment to organise and struggle for the rights of the dispossessed, marginalised and exploited will always be upheld by CPI(M) and the Left movement," he said.

He said the Left continued to enjoy support among workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, youth, students and women, and argued that the movement remained necessary because "oppression and assault" continued in society.

"So long as such problems exist in society, the red flag and the working class movement will continue to work among the masses," the Left leader said.

Exuding confidence on the Left's revival, Baby said the party would reflect on the reasons behind its electoral loss.

"We may be rejected in one election, but we will stage our comeback by understanding what went wrong with us," he said, adding, "We will listen to people and we will come back with higher strength."

Baby also criticised the Congress over reported factional tensions in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front's victory in the state.

"The way they are behaving is being watched by the people of Kerala," he said, referring to infighting within the Congress.

"Those who have given a massive majority to Congress and UDF would be watching all this," he added, while urging party leaders to "settle the problem in an amicable, democratic manner".

Referring to West Bengal, Baby alleged that violence had escalated following the BJP's victory in the state assembly polls.

"It is quite unfortunate that the moment BJP snatched a massive victory in West Bengal, violence has also started on a big scale," he said.

He also accused the Trinamool Congress of being "notorious for violent activities" and alleged that the "RSS-controlled BJP" had "unleashed violence in many places" after the election results.

"This is not good for Bengal, not good for the country. We wish and hope that normalcy would be restored as soon as possible," he said.

Baby said the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal would continue efforts to "pacify people" and avoid violence and confrontation.

Asked about former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan not reacting publicly to the election results, Baby said Vijayan would respond "at an appropriate time".