Wear khadi twice a week to promote fabric: Board

THE BOARD HAS ALSO REQUESTED THEM TO USE HANDLOOM OR KHADI UPHOLSTERY IN GOVT OFFICES, CIRCUIT HOUSES

AND GUEST HOUSES

Government employees in Bihar, including IAS officers, have been requested to wear khadi attire at least twice a week.

The request comes from the Bihar State Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) in its initiative to promote khadi, considered to be Mahatama Gandhi’s swadeshi (indigenous) weapon of political protest. The state is celebrating the centenary year of Champaran

The board, a unit of Bihar’s industry department, has requested authorities in government offices and district magistrates to ensure that all employees turn up at their workplace in khadi, at least twice a week.

It has also requested them to use khadi or handloom upholstery in government offices, circuit houses and guest houses.

“As part of chief minister Nitish Kumar’s initiative to boost khadi and handloom industry, we have also requested DMs to ensure use of swadeshi fabric in all its offices and government schools,” KVIB chief executive officer BN Prasad said.

“The rider attached with it is that the khadi fabric will have to be purchased only from KVIB-approved outlets or the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC , which comes under the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises),” he said.

Some bureaucrats and employees had begun coming to office in khadi on Fridays, he said. “But we want all IAS officers, state service officers and employees to come to office in khadi for at least two days in a week,” he said.

“The initiative can be enforced only when the government approves a khadi policy,” said Prasad, adding that the fabric needed promotion to survive and sustain. “There are hardly five khadi board production-cumsale outlets in the region, including the one near Gandhi Maidan in the state capital. Others are at Gaya, Bhagalpur, Chapra and Ara,” he said.

“However, the region has many private outlets. Altogether 84 such outlets are approved either by the KVIB or the KVIC and are sustaining nearly 6,000 artisans of the region. With the support of KVIB, these outlets did a business of ₹1.75 crore in 2016 while it had a turnover of hardly ₹1 crore in 2014,” he said.

Bihar State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Limited chairman Naquib Ahmad said the use of handloom and khadi in government offices would boost the industry.

“Though weavers at Baswan Bigaha village in Nalanda district have traditionally been creating Baawan Booti curtains, which carry 52 varieties of motifs, mass production of drapes for plush offices will generate new energy among weavers,” Ahmad added.

“We will also rope in designers from the National Institute of Fashion Technology to create some new patterns to suit the mood and ambience,” he said.