Odisha Khadi shops open on Sundays, holidays

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, July 27: Odisha Khadi and Village Industries Board has started a very radical drive to accelerate marketing of Khadi and village industries products of rural artisans by introducing a renovated schedule to keep its departmental Khadi Gramodyog Bhandar open on Sundays, second Saturdays and government holidays besides weekdays from 10 am to 9 pm.Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Jogendra Behera inaugurated this renovation schedule amidst Ramdhoon and patriotic slogans by hundreds of National Youth Project activists on Sunday.Pressing the innovative spirit of activism of the Board, president of Odisha Khadi and Village Industries Board Tejeswar Parida asserted that this would bring forth empowerment of economic condition of rural artisan, popularize sales of Khadi village industries products and provide undisrupted sales at Khadi Gramodyog Bhandar.This was followed by flagging up of two teams of rural management students of XIMB by Behera.Each team consists of 6 XIMB students and one OK&VIB official.The teams started the research and exploration trip to Cuttack and Khurdha districts to conduct study on the problems, prospects and possibilities of village industries units of Odisha Khadi and Village Industries Board.The Board has been implementing Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) for the employment generation among youth, women and potential entrepreneurs in rural areas of Odisha.The Cuttack team visited units such as fly ash brick unit, readymade garment manufacturing unit, Patholab Institute, fabrication unit, bread and bakery unit and incense sticks unit.Similarly, the Khurda team visited stone carving units, fabrication unit, pattachitra unit, bell metal unit, modern art unit etc.The third programme of the day was Shram Dan by cleaning of Board premises by National Youth Project activists, volunteers of National Service Scheme (NSS), Vinoba Seva Pratisthan and members of Odisha Khadi and Village Industries Board Employees Union.