The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has decided to adopt two out of 100 villages selected under the SMARTGRAM initiative of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said following the call from the President that success in SMARTGRAM initiative was possible only when the Government, private sector, academic institutions, NGOs and villagers came together, the KVIC has committed to the President House for providing its full co-operation in development of the two villages, Raisina and lohtaka. The KVIC has adopted these two villages.
“On the advice of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the KVIC will implement all Khadi and village industries’ programs in both the villages, to generate sustainable employment for the villagers there. We have decided to launch our bee-keeping, spinning, weaving and stitching centres in both the villages, where the villagers will be provided proper training to eke out their livelihood,” he said.
He went on to add that “Not only that, we will also implement our small-scale industries’ other various skill-oriented and employment-generating programs like agarbatti-making, candle-making, pottery and pickle-making. The KVIC will also conduct sensitization programs for the youths about the Prime Minister Employment Generation Program (PMEGP) followed by facilitating loans from different nationalized banks under the PMEGP — to generate 100 per cent employment in these villages.”
Saxena further said that both the villages would be developed as ‘model’ villages. “We will also train the villagers about the bio-gas plants there, besides distributing Charkhas and looms among the villagers,” he said.
Earlier, the Rashtrapati Bhavan Secretariat had asked the KVIC to come forward in implementation of its schemes in these villages.”