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Title: Need to renovate Khadi Bhawans run by Khadi and Village Industries Commission and regularize the services of trading staff working in South Zone.
DR. CHARLES DIAS (NOMINATED): The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) speaks of propagating Mahatma Gandhi’s messages of Swaraj and also claims that its ‘social objective’ is to provide employment. By the sale of various Khadi products throughout the country through its outlets there was to some extent an impression created that the KVIC was practically trying to implement the Mahatma’s message. The rebate allowed by the Government on festive occasions was an encouragement to people to buy Khadi products. But what is happening now is that most of the Khadi products which were used by common people are not in the show-rooms and the prices are not reasonable. The rebate is stopped.
According to KVIC sources, the South Zone consists of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry and has maximum production and sale of KVI products for the year 2009-2010. South Zone recorded production worth Rs. 4,622.31 crores and sale of Rs. 6,027.68 crores against the total figure of production worth Rs. 18,136.98 crore and sales of Rs. 24,121.54 crores in the country. It is also stated that a fund of Rs. 272.46 crores has been earmarked for marketing development. But the Khadi Bhawans in these States are in a shabby condition and the trading staff in these Bhawans are not treated well. Compared to the regular staff, the trading staff is very less. Their long pending demand to regularize their services has not been met so far. I urge the Central Government to look into the matter urgently and take necessary measures to renovate Khadi Bhawans in South and to regularize the services of trading staff who are directly involved in sales. The move of the KVIC to transfer them needs to be reviewed.