Khadi products worth Rs 280 cr unsold last year: Swamy

Karnataka State Khadi & Village Industries Board (KSKVIB) Chief Executive Officer Jayavibhava Swamy said that the State’s Finance Department has approved to release Rs 51.49 crore of the total Rs 105 crore pending Market Development Assistance (MDA) and incentives to the khadi workers and units.

Addressing the media persons in Hubballi on Tuesday, he said, "the State government has approved to clear the 2014-19 incentives dues to the khadi workers in one shot. The remaining pending amount will be released within six months."

He further added, "Due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown, the Board witnessed a huge downfall in the sales of the Khadi and other products. The board manufactures more than 200 varieties of products, and since the lockdown, we were unable to sell products worth more than Rs 280 crore. There are more than 207 registered Khadi manufacturing units in Karnataka, which have employed more than 10,000 people. And a majority of them suffered during the lockdown period".

“To ensure that old stocks are cleared at the earliest, the Board has decided to hold 15 exhibitions-cum-sales across Karnataka. And the first such exhibition will be held in Bengaluru in the last week of March for 30-days. However, this will depend upon the Covid-19 protocols that government can impose on the eve of the increasing number of cases,” he said and added that the Board is also contemplating roping in e-commerce giants and platforms to increase the sales of Khadi products.