The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has asked its officers to present khadi gifts to visiting foreign delegates and officials of other ministries on priority basis to promote khadi products.
The ministry has issued a written communication, asking officials that purchase of any such gifts should be made from the Khadi Gram Udyog, an official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been promoting khadi products since coming to power.
Ministry Under Secretary Sunil Kumar has issued an office memorandum to all joint secretaries and officer-on-special duty (OSD), all directors and deputy secretaries to buy khadi products.
"Purchase of any gifts for presentation to officials of the ministry, other ministries, departments, members of visiting foreign delegation or for presenting to foreign delegates/counterparts on the visit of the officials of the ministry to any foreign countries etc be made from Khadi Gram Udyog/Khadi on priority basis," it stated.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena welcomed the government's decision.
"It is a far-reaching support from the government to the last left artisan associated with Khadi. Besides, purchase of Khadi and village industries products as gifts for the presentation to officials, members of visiting foreign delegation or by the Indian delegates to different foreign countries will not only provide more jobs for our valuable artisans, but will also showcase our mission to make Khadi 'Global from Local'," Saxena said.
He said, "Only such gestures from the government could fulfill the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi for whom Khadi was an instrument of make India self-reliant."
Apart from the HUA, railways this year has also shown a renewed interest in procuring eco-friendly Khadi products.
In January, in a quick response to the instructions issued by the Ministry of Railways to procure linen items from the KVIC, the North Western Railways (Jaipur), North Central Railways (Allahabad) and Northern Railways (Delhi) had given order of approximately Rs 12.40 crore to the KVIC for supply of Khadi duster and green/red flags.
Earlier this month, the ministry had issued instructions to use locally-produced, environment-savvy terracotta products manufactured by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) like kulhads, glasses and plates for serving catering items to passengers at Varanasi and Raebareily railway stations.
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