Amid controversy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi replacing Gandhi in the Khadi and Village Industries Commission diaries and calendars, the KVIC has got a booster doze of a Rs47 cr order from the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC).
This is the largest single order the KVIC has received during the recent past.
The ONGC usually distributes annual bonuses to its employees in the form of cash, but this year it has signed an agreement with the KVIC for providing gift vouchers in place of bonus.
Chairman of KVIC VK Saxena said that his negotiations have led to ONGC deciding to reward its employees in kind, at a value that is over three-fold higher than the cash value. Under the scheme, the ONGC will provide Khadi vouchers worth Rs10,000 each to its regular employees and Rs5,000 each to its non-regular employees. The KVIC will allow an additional 35 per cent incentive on these vouchers, thus enhancing the value of ONGC bonus to 135 per cent of its cash value for its staff. These Khadi vouchers can be used by ONGC staff over a period of 2 months. The ONGC has 34,236 regular employees and 1,063 non-regular employees.
The KVIC will get Rs35 Crore payment from ONGC due to this initiative.
Considering 35per cent additional supplement by KVIC the total sale of KVIC products will be about Rs47 crores over a period of 2 months in which 22 per cent, i.e Rs10 crore will be the wages. Saxena said that the artisans attached to this special sales drive will be given an additional 5 per cent reward directly in their accounts through DBT.
The KVIC will provide best quality Khadi products through 16 special exhibitions within the ONGC premises. The KVIC has also decided that the local Khadi Institutions and PMEGP units of the relevant area will be roped in to showcase their best products in these exhibitions, thereby spreading the benefits to local artisans. Efforts would also be made to ensure that 70-80 per cent of the sale would be of readymade garments, with special focus on women and children of the employees.
The first such exhibitions will start from January 16, 2017 from Mehsana in Gujarat and will cover ONGC locations at Ahmadabad, Baroda, Ankleshwar, Hazira, and Cambay Basin up to February 14, 2017 . The ONGC has highest numbers of employees i.e 11,081 in Gujarat.
Besides the tripartite benefit - sales to KVIC, value for money for employees and staff goodwill to ONGC- the agreement a unique model to help in the sustainable development of rural artisanal communities. Apart from higher productivity, the rural communities will also earn more and sustain a better quality of life. The KVIC, though this unique partnership will also generate 6.50 lakhs extra man days for its Khadi artisans, increasing employment opportunities.
Hailed in both the business and social circles as a unique experiment of multi level sustainable development, the scheme highlights a model of socio-economic rewards for the producer and the consumer alike. Saxena also explained that the scheme embodies the Prime Minister’s often repeated principle - ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’.