Vocal for Local: ITBP inks an MoU with KVIC to use Khadi products

New Delhi: The big Swadeshi drive in paramilitary forces envisaged by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has gained fresh momentum with a new agreement for the supply of Khadi cotton durries to the forces. In another first, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for the supply of 1.72 lakh cotton durries every year. The agreement has been signed by KVIC's Deputy CEO and ITBP's DIG in presence of KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena and Additional Secretary (Home) Vivek Bhardwaj and other officials of CAPFs.

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. 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 "Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan" initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Union Minister for MSME Nitin Gadkari welcomed the move.

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, bed-sheets, pillow covers, pickles, honey, papad and cosmetics, etc.

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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.

KVIC developed the cotton durries as per the samples provided by ITBP and the same has been approved by the agency. 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 Ghani 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.

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