Two Gujarat-based Khadi institutes — Udyog Bharti Trust in Gondal and Rajkot-based Khadi Gram Udyog Sangh-Samanvay — have signed a memorandum of understanding with Khadi and Village Industry Commission (KVIC) to supply solar-driven charkhas under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP). These two institutes will supply the solar charkhas to the Khadi institutions and artisans across India.
Sanjay Hedaoo, director of KVIC, Gujarat said, “We have signed MoU to provide solar-driven charkhas to various khadi institutes to increase employment in this sector under PMEGP. Both Udyog Bharti and Samanvay will supply 100 solar charkhas each by March-end.”
The government, under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, provides 25 per cent subsidy to male recipients and 35 per cent to female beneficiaries.
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Giriraj Singh, Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSME) paid a visit to Gondal-based Udyog Bharti and witnessed the production capacity of solar charkha. Singh was so impressed with the equipment production potential and cost-efficiency that he asked KVIC to supply the khadi artisans and institution with 100 solar charkhas sourced from Udyog Bharti.
Chandrakant Patel, Secretary Udyog Bharti Trust, said, “The MSME minister had visited our campus and found that Udyog Bharti-made charkhas were producing more khadi at lesser cost than those developed by others. Hence, the minister asked us to supply the same through KVIC.”
The Udhyog Bharti Trust is also initiating a trial run with 15 spinning wheels of 10-24 spindles that cost Rs 35,000-40,000 each. At present, the solar charkha, with eight spindles, produces 45,000 metres of khadi, while the production rate of hand-driven charkha, with eight spindles, is not more than 25,000 metres.
On the other hand, the Rajkot-based Khadi Gram Udyog Sangh-Samanvay that manufactures and sells khadi garments in Gujarat will provide 100 solar charkhas to their artisans and has a plan to make an investment of Rs 1.25 crore.
Ajay Doshi, director of Samanvay, said, “We will buy normal charkhas and convert them into solar charkhas with the help of Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Rural Industrialization (MGIRI) and distribute it to our artisans under PMEGP. We will spend about Rs 1.25 crore.”
