Khadi spinners’ wages hiked by 75%: KVIC

The idea is to provide a daily wage of Rs 200 to Khadi artisans to make it a remunerative employment alternative

NEW DELHI: In a bid to make Khadi spinning a remunerative employment, the Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on Monday revised the wages for the spinners upward to Rs 7 per hank (coiled form of Khadi yarn), about 75 per cent hike over Rs 4, paid before November 2016.

At its 642nd meet, the KVIC management resolved to ensure minimum Rs 200 per day of wages for the Khadi spinners. “At our historic meeting at Sabarmati Ashram, we decided to increase the existing wages for spinners to Rs 7 per hank, and our effort is to provide a daily wage of Rs 200 to the millions of Khadi artisans to make it a remunerative employment alternative,” said VK Saxena, the KVIC Chairman.

The Chairman noted that the wages for spinners remained significantly low at Rs 4 per hank till November 2016. “First, we revised it from Rs 4 per hank to Rs 5.50 per hank in November 2016. With the inflation hovering at around 5 per cent and the drought conditions persisting in several parts of rural India, the low wages in effect have reduced the opportunities of self reliance to Khadi artisans. So, now we have enhanced it to Rs 7 per hank with effect from April 1, 2017,” said Saxena adding that the new wages will be enforced and implemented in an effective manner.

The Khadi institutions which fail to comply with the revised wage rates will face strict action from the Commission such as withholding of Market Development Assistance (MDA) to such institutions.

In line with the Centre’s mission to reduce cash transactions, KVIC has started paying the wages to its beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer (DBT) to their bank accounts.

At its meeting in Ahmedabad, KVIC also decided to incentivise the revival of closed/dead Khadi institutions, which had resulted into loss of production as well as loss of employment to rural communities from Khadi activities.