In order to fulfill the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Shri Manoj Kumar, Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) launched three different distribution programmes in Assam on Monday.  Bee-boxes, pickle making machines and automatic agarbatti machines were distributed to the beneficiaries in different programmes.  In Kumarikata village of Tamulpur he distributed 500 bee-boxes to 50 beekeepers, handed over  40 pickle making machines and 20 automatic agarbatti machines to the beneficiaries at KVIC Complex in Guwahati. A  pilot project related to footwear industry was also inaugurated in Six-Mile Guwahati under the Gramodyog Vikas Yojana. This clarion call for benefiting the farmer community in Bodoland, Assam through Honey mision was made during last year in the same month by Union Home Minister & Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah during his public address at Tamulpur.

Addressing the meeting in Tamulpur, the Chairman said that the mantra of the self-reliant India on which the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is working is - work for every hand, and a fair price for the work. Following this, the KVIC  is implementing schemes in the villages and towns of the country.  He further said that on the call of Sweet Revolution by  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission is running the Honey Mission scheme at the national level from the year 2017.  Under this scheme, 8290 bee-boxes and bee-colonies have been distributed after training to 829 beekeepers in the state of Assam.  Shri Kumar encouraged the beekeepers to produce world class honey so that the 'local honey' of Assam gets 'global' recognition.  He further said in addition to increasing the production of agriculture, beekeeping is also increasing the income of the farmers.  Apart from this, elephants are being prevented from entering human habitats and farmers' fields through bee boxes in the villages adjacent to the forest area, which has seen a reduction in the incidence of human attacks and damage to farmers' crops by elephants.  The Chairman also   informed that one such effort under Project RE-HAB is being conducted by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission in the villages of Mornoi, Dahikata, Rajapara and Kadamtala in Goalpara district of Assam.

The Chairman distributed pickle making machines to 40 beneficiaries and automatic agarbatti machines to 20 beneficiaries in a program organized at KVIC premises, Guwahati.  On this occasion, he also briefed on the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program being implemented at the national level by KVIC for the self-employment of youth and women, in which up to 50 lakh rupees are given for the establishment of small industries.  A grant of up to a maximum of 35% of the project cost is being given by the Government of India.

The Chairman shared that the determined goals of the Prime Minister has  infused a new lease of  life into the Khadi sector after 2014.  Khadi has now become global from local.  As a result of this, in the financial year 2021-22, the turnover of Khadi and Village Industries products crossed the figure of 1,15,000 crores.  This happened for the first time after independence.  Shri Manoj Kumar said that in order to improve the economic condition of the Khadi artisans, along with improving the sales of Khadi, the commission has decided to increase the remuneration of all the artisans working in Khadi by 35% from April 1, 2023  which is a historic step in itself.  He said that since 2014, the remuneration of Khadi artisans has been increased by more than 150 percent.  Shri Jolen Daimary, MLA, Tamulpur and Shri Siddharth Bhattacharya, MLA, Guwahati (East), officers and employees of Government of Assam and KVIC were present in the programme.

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MJPS