Strengthen state units, says KVIC chairman

CHANDIGARH, June 15: There's a need to strengthen the infrastructure of state boards of Khadi and village industries. This was stated by Mah...

CHANDIGARH, June 15: There8217;s a need to strengthen the infrastructure of state boards of Khadi and village industries. This was stated by Mahesh Sharma, chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission KVIC.

Sharma also met Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today where he8217;s stated to have raised this issue. He also had a meeting with Punjab Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Nirmal Singh Kahlon. He said that Punjab should raise the Khadi grant which at present was a quot;pettyquot; Rs 5 lakh, while other state governments were giving a much higher amount.

Addressing media persons here last night, Sharma said that successive Central governments had neglected this sector despite the fact that the KVIC have a vast potential for generating rural employment. He said this nodal rural development agency had to play an important role in the implementation of the national agenda of the BJP-led Central Government whose main emphasis was to strengthen the rural economy and remove unemployment.

The KVIC chairman said that over 5,000 institutions are registered with KVIC which cover over 2.5 lakh villages of the country. It also has about 15,000 sales outlets across the country.

He said as part of the Golden Jubilee Independence celebrations, the commission was coming out with a new ambitious action plan suggesting ways and means to boost rural economy and generate employment opportunities for the unemployed rural youths.

Sharma said that earlier at a high-level meeting of Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab boards, detailed discussions were held on various issues concerning problems and the future plans of the commission.

Elaborating the priorities of the commission, Sharma said it would concentrate on investment in the northeast region of the country and encourage local artisans, specially tribals.

Story continues below this ad

He said there was a need to exploit the traditional skills of the tribal artisans whose products could attain popularity even in the international market.

Sharma said that he had written to the Union Railways and Civil Aviation minister suggesting Khadi products which could be used in the railways and the airlines.

He denied that Khadi was beyond the reach of the common man resulting in its low sales.