MUMBAI,  18 MAY,  2020 (GPN) : India has taken the first big step towards becoming Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant). Immediately after Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call for encouraging local products, the Hon’ble Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has taken a lead and has made it mandatory for all canteens and stores of paramilitary forces to sell only “Swadeshi” products through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). The move will open great employment opportunities for farmers, unemployed youths and lakhs of people already engaged with cottage and village industries.

An order to this effect has been issued by the MHA on 15 May 2020 that will come into force from June 1, 2020. Now only the Indian products will be sold through the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) canteens which will be procured from KVIC. The decision will also impact the production and sales of KVIC which will be fulfilling the majority of supplies at these stores.

“The Khadi and Village industries Commission with 17 products has been registered with Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandar (KPKB)…Now the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has decided that only swadeshi products will be sold through KPKB Bhandars wef 1st June, 2020. In view of the above, all Master Bhandars may place their demands directly to KVIC,” the order read.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena lauded the decision of Home Minister Shri Amit shah saying this would provide a big boost to the cottage and village industries sector apart from the MSMEs units. “This decision will directly benefit lakhs of people engaged with manufacturing of various village industries products.  With this order over 10 lakh personnel of the various paramilitary forces will be added to KVIC’s consumer base. As a goodwill gesture, the KVIC has also immediately decided to supply products to the CAPF canteens at a small margin of 3%  only as against the 20% margin in other cases,” Saxena said.

Notably, there are 20 master bhandars of these forces across the country with annual turnover of over Rs 1800 crore. The KVIC is likely to get major share of the total turnover. At present, KVIC has registered 17 products for the supply to CAPF canteens. These include Khadi National Flag, eatables like honey, pickles, edible oils, agarbatti, papad, amla products and cotton towels etc Further, a list of 63 new products like Khadi clothes,  woolens, cosmetics like herbal oils, shampoo, soaps, face wash, tea and coffee and others has been submitted to the CAPF canteens by KVIC to be included in supply list at these stores. ENDS