In a bid to make rural women economically self-dependent, Jharkhand Khadi Board is aiming to train at least 10,000 women from the rural areas in various trades. Talking to media persons at his office in Ranchi, Jharkhand Khadi Board Chairman Sanjay Seth said that the Board will also provide rural artisans a market by buying their products and selling them out on its outlets all over the State.
“As our primary aim is to make rural population self-employed, we intend to train at least 10,000 rural women from all over the State,” said Seth. Only producing Khadi and selling them is not the objective of Khadi Board, he said.
Seth further added that as the women in the rural areas have been doing a commendable job but were not getting proper market for their products, a decision has been taken to purchase their products and sell them at Jharkraft outlets across the State.
“To promote cottage industry and improve the quality of products in the State, we will be providing cutter and buffer machines along with tools free of cost to 35 artisans identified from Jabardaha and Pagdaha in Dumka. These artisans have been found to be an expert in making fashionable jewelries made out of bronze” he said.
Proper arrangement of power supply to their villages has also been made and all their products will be purchased by Jharkhand Khadi Board which will be further sold out at its counters all over the State, Seth said.
Products of cottage industries which are being promoted by Jharkhand Khadi Board include jewelries, bags, lac bangles, soaps, sandals, papad and sanitary pads etc.
“I have told them produce as much as they can…we will purchase all your products and sell them out at our outlets,” said Seth. It could also try to sell them out to the Khadi Boards of other states, he said.
Seth also appealed to people of Jharkhand to observe Gandhi Jayanti as Khadi day on October 2 by wearing at least one item made of Khadi on their bodies. “If everybody wears at least one item made out of Khadi together on Gandhi Jayanti, all our products will be sold out easily leaving them vacant. To fill them up…more production will be needed to be done resulting into creating more job opportunity to the rural population,” said the Chairman.
To promote the artisans coming from the rural areas, a three day long Khadi Mela is also being organised from September 30 to October 2 at the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti in its premises. “Artisans coming from the villages will also be given an opportunity to put their personal counters in the Mela,” he said.
The Jharkhand Khadi Board is also going to inaugurate a hi-tech showroom at its old office on Radium Road. Seth also promised that Jharkhand Khadi Board will try to open at least one outlet in all the districts by December this year.
“We are also trying to open our outlets on the lines of Fabindia attracting high class people so that our business gets a boost in the coming days,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Khadi Board has been giving training to the Tana Bhagats in fabric making since August 14 who have now started making clothes from September 21.