“Rising handloom, khadi sale creating new employment, women benefiting most”: PM Modi

New Delhi [India], July 28 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the rising sale of handloom and khadi products is creating new employment opportunities in the country.

While addressing the 112th episode of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said, “Khadi Gramodyog’s business has crossed 1.5 lakh crore rupees for the first time. The sale of Khadi has increased 400 per cent. This rising sale of Khadi, handloom, is also creating a large number of new employment opportunities. Mostly, women are associated with this industry, so they are the ones who are benefiting the most.”

The Prime Minister also urged the people to buy more Khadi clothes.

Promoting the handloom industry as National Handloom Day (August 7) approaches, PM Modi said, “More than 250 women of Rohtak district of Haryana are associated with the handloom industry. Earlier, they used to run small shops and do minor work to make ends meet but everyone had a desire to move forward so they decided to join the Unnati Self Help Group and by joining this group, they got training in block printing and dyeing. These women are earning lakhs of rupees today; bed covers, saree and dupattas made by them have a huge demand in the market.”

He also listed handloom products from several states and said that the work of handloom artisans has become popular in every corner of the country.

“Just like the women from Rohtak, artisans across the country are engaged in popularising handloom, be it the Sambalpuri saree of Odisha, the Maheshwari saree of MP, Maharashtra’s Paithani or hand block prints of Vidarbha, be it Himachal’s Bhuttico shawls and woollen clothes or Jammu and Kashmir’s Kani shawls,” the Prime Minister said.

“On August 7, we will be celebrating National Handloom Day. These days, the way handloom products have made a place in everyone’s hearts is indeed very successful and fabulous. You can also upload your local products on social media with #MyProductMyPride. Your small effort will change the lives of many people,” he added.

The Prime Minister also spoke about Project PARI, which is promoting public art.

“PARI means Public Art of India. Project PARI is becoming a big medium to bring emerging artists on one platform to make public art popular. These paintings and artworks on the walls, on the roadsides and in the underpasses are made by the artists who are associated with PARI. While this increases the beauty of our public places, it also helps in making our culture more popular,” PM Modi said.

Mann Ki Baat is Prime Minister Modi’s monthly radio programme, where he discusses important national issues with the citizens of India. The programme is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month. Launched on October 3, 2014, Mann Ki Baat aims to connect with various segments of Indian society, encompassing women, the elderly, and the youth.

Apart from 22 Indian languages and 29 dialects, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is broadcast in 11 foreign languages, including French, Chinese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Burmese, Baluchi, Arabic, Pashtu, Persian, Dari, and Swahili.