Following the ‘Khadi for Fashion’ call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) has planned to connect not less than 5 crore village women to charkha (spinning wheel).

Addressing the Gandhi Jayanti celebrations on October 2, Minister of State (I/C) for MSME Giriraj Singh, said, “Khadi had now been popular in younger generation also. For a significant span of time Khadi was meant for either grandfathers or politicians. But, it was the initiatives and appeals made by our Prime Minister – who is himself the latest USP of Khadi – that Khadi has now become a fashion trend among the youths.”

“Even the results speak. The previous governments could increase the sale by 70 per cent in 10-odd years and under the leadership of PM Modi, we have enhanced it to 90 per cent,” Singh said.

Speaking about solar charkhas, the minister said that it would provide employment to at least 5 crore village women in the coming five years.

“The five pilot projects which have been commissioned in Varanasi, Nawada and other places, would ensure a regular income between Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000 to each of the women,” the minister said.

Singh further said that even in Africa, as a part of centenary year celebrations of Gandhiji’s Swadeshi Movement, the High Commission of India in Uganda, in association with the Republic of Uganda, has unveiled Gandhi Charkha, which is gifted by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), at the Gandhi Heritage Site at Jinja in Uganda.

KVIC Chairman V K Saxena, in his address, said that Khadi had been spreading its wings in all directions for creating maximum job opportunities for the artisans. “Since sanitation and Khadi was close to Mahatma Gandhi’s heart, the KVIC is all set to take his legacy forward,” he said.

“We have also taken up the Prime Minister’s call for ‘Sweet Revolution’ very seriously and we are trying to give a major push to our ‘Honey Mission’ in the coming days,” the KVIC Chairman said.

Source: Millennium Post