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Hopes of Bengeri Khadi unit's employees dwindle

An order to manufacture 3 crore national flags was in the offing but it now looks bleak
Last Updated 12 April 2021, 18:07 IST

The hope of the financial revival of India’s only Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)-certified national flag manufacturing unit at Bengeri in Hubballi is dashed as the Centre is yet to make up its mind on placing the ‘promised’ three crore units of the tri-colour flag for the platinum jubilee celebrations of India’s independence.

During a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently, it was decided to celebrate the platinum jubilee in a grand manner by hoisting the national flag on all the government buildings and also encourage private institutes and individuals to hoist the flags. The proposed three-crore order was a part of these celebrations.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena and CEO Preeta Verma to Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangh (KKGSS) had recently visited Bengeri. More than 400 employees of Sangh, who haven’t received a salary for the last two months, became hopeful after Saxena proposed purchasing more than three crore units of national flag for the year-long celebrations of India’s 75th Independence.

Had the proposal materialised, it would have not only provided jobs to more than 2.5 lakh rural weaver and cotton manufacturers but also improved the financial condition of KKGSS.

“Due to lockdown and subdued celebrations of national festivals across India last year, we could not sell flags worth Rs 1.26 crore. Covid-19 has adversely impacted our demand, supply and manufacture chain,” said KKGSS secretary Shivananda Mathapati, adding that raw materials suppliers have also not been paid, and huge stocks are stored at showrooms.

“We haven’t so far received any communication from central government or its allied agencies,” said Mathapati, adding that such a huge order could have been a game-changer for KKGSS and Khadi industry in general.

However, highly placed sources at KVIC, Mumbai informed DH that such huge order is unlikely to be placed as the certified agency does not have the required equipment and manpower to produce the flags. “And it is also not feasible to set up additional units, as such huge orders will be placed only for this year and national flags being a slow-moving commodity not many private players will come forward to take up the order,” said the officer requesting anonymity.

“The recent visit by KVIC members to Hubballi unit was not to make any proposal but to take stock to see if we are prepared to manufacture such huge quantity of flags. Ground realities show that it's not possible...” the officer said.

On average, the Sangh produces 30,000 units (worth Rs 3.5 crore) of national flag measuring different sizes, including the one prime ministers of India hoist at the Red Fort, Delhi on independence day. Mathapati said with the present infrastructure and after training additional hands, KKGSS can produce three lakh units of flags this year and by joining hands with other Khadi manufacturing units across India, the task of preparing three crore flags is not impossible.

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(Published 12 April 2021, 18:07 IST)

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