The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) signed an MoU with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on Wednesday for the supply of 1.72 lakh cotton khadi durries every year for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
According to a release by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, the agreement has been signed for one year which will be renewed thereafter. The total value of 1.72 lakh durries is Rs 8.74 crore, it added.
KVIC Chairman termed the development as "historic" saying this would not only encourage the use of Swadeshi products in our forces but also create large-scale additional employment for Khadi artisans.
"Providing the best quality products to our jawans and timely delivery of consignment will be the top priority of KVIC. The purchase orders from the CAPFs is also a matter of pride for Khadi artisans who are serving the country's jawans in their own ways," Saxena said.
"When durries, which we will be supplying to you and jawans deployed in Ladakh and other forward areas, will use it, it will be an honour for Khadi," Chairman KVIC added.
The development comes in wake of the instructions of the Union Home Minister to the paramilitary forces to encourage local products in a bid to support the Aatmrbhar Bharat Abhiyan initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the release stated.
As per the specifications, KVIC will provide blue-color durries of 1.98 m length and 1.07 m width. The cotton durries will be produced by Khadi artisans in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. The next products in the pipeline are Khadi blankets, bedsheets, pillow covers, pickles, honey, papad and cosmetics, etc, the ministry said.
The cotton durries prepared by KVIC have also been certified by the Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA), a unit of the Textile Ministry recognized by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
Earlier, on July 31 last year, KVIC had signed an agreement with ITBP for supplying Kacchi Gh mustard oil which has been successfully supplied. The ITBP is the nodal agency appointed by MHA for the procurement of provisions on behalf of all paramilitary forces.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor