There have been complaints from the people for a long time that the chemical-based paints used in the houses are toxic and not eco-friendly. Therefore, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), the statutory body of the Modi government’s Ministry of MSME under Nitin Gadkari, came up with cow-dung based paint to provide an alternative to the toxic chemical-based paint.
The cow-dung based paint is named “Khadi Prakritik Paint” brought-in by Nitin Gadkari’s ministry and is available in two forms- distemper paint and plastic emulsion paint. The paint is free from heavy metals like lead, mercury, chromium, arsenic, cadmium and others, which were traditionally used in chemical-based paints. Moreover, the cow-dung based is cost-effective compared to chemical-based paints and is expected to add 30,000 rupees per annum in farmer’s income.
The Modi government is focusing on the non-farm side of agriculture to double the farmer’s income by 2022, as promised by Prime Minister Modi. The income from animals is an important source for farmers given the exponential growth of the dairy, poultry, and meat industry in the country in the last few decades. Therefore, Gadkari has adopted a multi-pronged approach to ensure the doubling of farmer’s income, which includes an increase in the value of the product, direct income support, as well as, income from animals.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), the statutory body under Gadkari’s Ministry, whose mandate is to “plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary”, has been at the forefront of innovations which will ensure that the government can double the farmer’s income by 2022.
Ever since Modi as Prime Minister, the Khadi industry has witnessed a 37.1% growth and fabric production has increased by 38.30 million sq mts. In fiscal 2017-18, while the mill sector fabric production was 2,157 million square meters, the Khadi sector fabric production was 141.52 million square meters, which was more than 6.5 per cent share of the overall fabric production in the country.
Moreover, around 1.8 million jobs have been created from 2014 to September 2018. Here is another magnanimous figure: The average sales of the Khadi sector stood at Rs 914.07 crore between 2004 and 2014. This increased by a whopping 100.02% between 2015 and 2018 to Rs 1828.30 crore. The average export of Khadi and village industries products also increased from Rs 87.77 crore between 2004 and 2014 to Rs 204.75 crore between 2015 and 2018. It all became possible in just three years after PM Modi urged people to come forward and promote Khadi.
In August last year, Gadkari informed that Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) had supplied 10,000 electric pottery wheels in the last year and 25,000 wheels are to be distributed this year. The Modi government has been distributing electric wheels, under the Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana, to increase their productivity.
After that, to create more demand for Kulhads, Modi government came up with another great idea of mandatory use clay-based kulhads at railway stations. Cabinet Minister Nitin Gadkari had asked Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to make kulhads mandatory at 100 railway stations. “I have written a letter to Piyush Goyal to make use of kulhads mandatory at 100 railway stations and also suggested airports and state transport undertakings having tea stalls at bus depots to make the use of kulhads mandatory. We will also encourage malls to have kulhad tea stalls,” said Gadkari.
Moreover, since 2017, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has helped several farmers by distributing 70,000 beehive boxes across the country. Farmers have also been provided training in the field of apiculture to promote bee-keeping among them.
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium industries under Gadkari, deserve applause for their dedicated work in bringing the best out of the village industries to increase the income in rural areas.