GUWAHATI, Oct 2 - On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today gifted khadi clothes to 100 employees at a function held on the premises of the Khadi and Village Industries Board here.
The State government had earlier decided to gift khadi clothes to over four lakh employees as part of its bid to revive the dying industry in the State.
With the inauguration of the process today, all the State government employees would in phases be given coupons to collect free khadi clothes from the Khadi and Village Industries outlets.
Speaking at the function, Sonowal said khadi is an indigenous industry which sustains because of the patronage of the local people. �Large-scale use of khadi clothes, besides lending a new lease of life to the dying khadi industry, will promote village industry and provide self-reliance to the people,� he said.
The Chief Minister urged the Khadi and Village Industries Board to become more professional and work in the competitive market to come out with attractive and high demand products for more profits.
He said the Khadi and Village Industries Board can earn more profits if it considers the entire State as its potential market and produces goods to fulfil demands of the consumers.
Sonowal said considering the raw materials available in Assam, the Khadi and Village Industries Board should venture into producing and marketing new items like honey and jaggery to create new demands. The Chief Minister assured that the government will strive to solve the outstanding problems of the board.
He unveiled a statute of Mahatma Gandhi at the entrance of the Khadi and Village Industries Board premises and released a souvenir on the occasion.
Sonowal also paid his tribute to the second Prime Minister of India Lal Bahadur Shastri on the occasion of his birth anniversary today.
Freedom fighters Dhirendra Nath Kalita and Bhubaneswar Barman were also felicitated on the occasion.
