New Delhi, Jan 30 (KNN) In order to promote Khadi and Khadi made products the government on 29 Jan 2018 disclosed a new uniform for the Department of Posts personnel, including postmen and multi-tasking staff, which is made of khadi.

Communications Minister Manoj Sinha while launching the uniform said "Our Prime Minister has been promoting khadi. We started the process around 25 days back and decided to come up with this khadi uniform in khaki color.”

He further added "There is immense potential for Khadi (Khadi and Village Industries Commission) and Department of Posts”.

Sinha further informed that the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) presented the design to the government and the postal department decided to accept it.

The new uniform also replaces the "Gandhi topi" with a p-cap and the color of the uniform for postmen and post-women will remain the same. The new dress carries the logo of 'India Post' on the pocket and the cap, along with red stripes on shoulders and shoulder blade.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 'Mann Ki baat' program said that khadi is not a cloth but it is a notion. Khadi is connected with livelihood of the artisan.”

PMO quoted “Khadi for nation, khadi for fashion and now khadi for transformation”

MSMEs minister Giriraj Singh informed that postal department is the third to adopt Khadi.

The khadi uniform will soon be available at 7000 retail outlets of KVIC stores and it costs around Rs 1500 and Rs 1700 for men and women respectively.

"It will be offered at discount of 10 per cent to postal employees," KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said.

Around 8 lakh meters of total fabric used for making uniforms for 90,000 postmen and post-women which would be supplied by top 37 khadi institutions of the country from Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, among others.

Uniform allowances of Rs 5000 per month will be granted to postmen and post-women every year as it is compulsory to wear uniform as per the rules.

"The new uniform will help in ending variations in uniforms that postmen purchased from various places," Department of Posts Secretary A N Nanda said. (KNN/YV)