Bihar Khadi project to generate employment for rural women

New Delhi, Feb 9 (KNN) As a part of government initiative to provide rural women employment through khadi sector, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) is starting a khadi pilot project in the Khanwa village of Nawada district in Bihar.

“This model of wage earnings to the rural women has to be scaled up so as to achieve the visionary goal of providing job opportunities to crores of rural women in coming years,” said a release from the ministry.

As many as 100 solar charkhas will be distributed to the rural women for spinning of yarn. Under buyback arrangement with ‘Gram Nirman Mandal Khadi Sansthan, Gaya, these yarns would be weaved into Khadi products, it said.

This scheme is likely to provide Rs 5000 to Rs 8000 per month to the women artisans.

The project is expected to lay a platform for another visionary goal of increasing the market share of Khadi in the textile sector from present 0.4 per cent to 5 per cent in next five years in first phase.

In this regards, the ministry is inviting suggestions from different entities on how to enhance the production and sale of Khadi, how to create a niche for Khadi products particularly among youths and about 2.5 crore NRIs living abroad and how to foster awareness about Khadi products.

Currently, people employed in Khadi sector are earning Rs 1200 to Rs 1800 per month. MGIRI Wardha developed solar charkha can increase the earnings to four times the existing one, cutting the drudgery along. (KNN/ST)