Arunachal Pradesh govt purchases 1 lakh Khadi face masks for school children
New Delhi, Dec 21 (Agency) The Arunachal Pradesh government is procuring another 1 lakh tri-color Khadi face masks for its school children. As the state government prepares to re-open schools for class VIII students from January 4, 2021, it has placed a repeat purchase order for 1 lakh cotton masks. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) will deliver the masks by December 27.
The repeat order comes just over a month after KVIC supplied 60,000 face masks to the Arunachal Pradesh government in November this year, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises said in a statement here on Sunday. The state government also received positive feedback from the students of class 10th and 12th who have been wearing Khadi masks in schools. Arunachal Pradesh is the first state government in North East India that has purchased such a huge quantity of Khadi face masks for its students. The second purchase order for Khadi masks was issued on December 17, citing urgency as classes for VIII standard are set to restart in the New Year. KVIC will provide double-layered, tri-color Cotton face masks to Arunachal Pradesh government with its logo suitably placed on the masks. The face masks in tri-color also aims at instilling a sense of nationalism among the students.
KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said the repeat order for supply of Khadi face masks is a prestigious order which manifests Khadi’s growing popularity and also acceptance of Khadi in various government departments. ‘Such big orders create additional job for Khadi artisans. Since this order concerns school children, KVIC will accord top priority to the order and deliver the consignment before December 27,’ Mr Saxena said. ‘The government of Arunachal Pradesh has decided to open schools for class 8th from 4th January 2021, and also accorded approval for procurement of 100,000 Khadi Cotton face masks from KVIC for the school children,’ the purchase order issued by the state government said.
KVIC has specifically used Double Twisted Khadi fabric for manufacturing of these masks as it helps retain 70 per cent of the moisture content inside, while providing an easy passage for the air to pass through.
These masks are, therefore, skin-friendly and suitable for long duration use. Khadi cotton face masks are washable, reusable and biodegradable. Notably, KVIC has sold over 25 lakh face masks in just nearly 8 months since it was launched in April this year. Owing to the comfort and high quality of face masks, KVIC has received several bulk orders including 12.30 lakh face masks from the Indian Red Cross Society. It has also received repeat orders from Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister’s Office, several State Governments and Central Government Ministries and PSUs apart from the general public.