After introducing kulhads serving hot tea and locally produced bed sheets and towels in trains, Indian Railways continues its association with KVIC! Khadi Bhawan, which is the flagship store of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) at Delhi’s Connaught Place has recently bagged an order to supply dusters worth Rs 1.25 crore from Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala and another order worth Rs 1.65 crore from North-West Railways Jaipur. Vinai Kumar Saxena, KVIC Chairman was quoted in a PTI report saying that such huge orders from government and PSUs (public sector undertakings) not only increase the income of the artisans, but also inspires new entrepreneurs to associate working with khadi and creating better job avenues. This will also play a pivotal role in the growth of the Khadi sector.
The Chairman added that the recent orders from the Railway Ministry will create more employment and subsequently raise the income of the existing artisans. It would also lead a way for KVIC’s convergence with various ministries and PSUs. Indian railways, this year has shown a renewed interest in procuring and using eco-friendly khadi products. According to the report, in the month of January, the North Western Railway zone (Jaipur), North Central Railway zone (Allahabad) and Northern Railway zone (Delhi) had given orders of approximately Rs 12.40 crore to KVIC, for the supply of khadi duster and green/red flags. This was in a quick response to the instructions issued by the Ministry of Railways to procure linen items, like bed sheets and towels from the KVIC.
Meanwhile, the Railway Board had also issued instructions to use locally-produced, environment-savvy terracotta products manufactured by the KVIC like kulhads, glasses and plates for serving catering items like snacks and tea to the passengers at the Varanasi and Raebareily railway stations. With this initiative, the famous style of serving hot tea in wooden eco-friendly kulhads was planned to be re-introduced in Indian Railways, after a gap of almost 15 years.
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