New Delhi, Aug 1 (KNN) In a bid to support the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” initiated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to supply mustard oil.

The move was welcomed by the Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Nitin Gadkari.

''The ITBP will soon place an order for supply of 1200 quintals of high quality kacchi ghani mustard oil which will be supplied by KVIC through its Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) units in a month’s time,'' said an official statement.

KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena, while thanking the Union Home Minister for his initiative, said the MoU was a historic step as this is for the first time that KVIC has signed a deal with the paramilitary forces for supply of any material. He said this was a major step towards creating sustainable local employment in these trying times.

“Providing best quality oil to our jawans guarding our borders, that too, on time will be our top priority,” Saxena added.

The KVIC and ITBP have signed the MoU for a period of one year which will be renewed further. The next products in the pipeline are cotton mats (dari), blankets, bed sheets, pillow covers, pickles, honey, papad and cosmetics, etc.

The total value of oil and dari will be approximately Rs 18 crore.

Notably, the KVIC recently supplied products like honey, pickles, edible oils, agarbatti, papad, amla candy and cotton towels, etc. to CAPF canteens on a trial basis. Further, a list of 63 new products is being prepared for adding in the supply basket.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also made it mandatory to sell only “Swadeshi” products through the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) canteens across India.

''The ITBP is the nodal agency appointed by MHA for the procurement of provisions on behalf of all paramilitary forces,'' the statement added.