New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed delight at the record-breaking sale of Rs 1.52 crore at 'Khadi Bhawan' in Delhi's Connaught Place and said that the purchase of the hand-woven cloth across the country shows how it has become a symbol of public sentiment.
"The new record of the purchase of Khadi by our family members across the country shows how it has become a powerful symbol of public sentiment. I am confident that this love for Khadi will continue to create new records every day, which will give new strength to the vision of a self-reliant India," posted the Prime Minister on X.
This comes after the Prime Minister urged people to purchase Khadi on Gandhi Jayanti during his "Mann Ki Baat" programme on September 24. As a result, a record sale of Rs 1.52 crore was made at Khadi Bhawan in a single day.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the custodian of Khadi, the legacy of Pujya Bapu and the architect of 'Modern Khadi of New India', had appealed to the people to buy Khadi on 'Gandhi Jayanti' in the 'Mann Ki Baat' program on 24th September. As a result, for the first time in the history of Khadi, a record sale of Rs 1.52 crore was achieved in a single day at 'Khadi Bhawan' in Connaught Place, Delhi," posted Khadi India on X.
According to an official statement from the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, "The people of Delhi have set a new record in the purchase of Khadi and Village Industries products on the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
"On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the flagship Khadi Bhawan at Connaught Place in the heart of New Delhi witnessed the highest-ever sale of Khadi and Village Industries products worth Rs 1,52,45,000," it said.
Chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Manoj Kumar attributed the phenomenal sales of Gandhi ji's legacy Khadi on Gandhi Jayanti to the 'Brand Power "of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his unprecedented popularity among the masses.
According to the latest sales data, in the last financial year 2022-23, on the day of Gandhi Jayanti, Khadi Bhawan in Connaught Place, Delhi, the sale was Rs 1,33,95,000, this time it has reached the figure of Rs 1,52,45,000, said the statement.
As the first customer on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, KVIC Chairman Manoj Kumar purchased Khadi clothes at Khadi Bhawan, Connaught Place on October 2, morning and made a digital payment through UPI.
According to the KVIC Chairman, PM Modi, on many occasions, has appealed on the national and international forums to buy Khadi products.
Speaking on the occasion of G20 and National Handloom Day held recently at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, he mentioned how in the last 9 years, the mantra of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' and 'Vocal for Local' has led to the sale of Khadi and Village Industries products crossing Rs 1.34 lakh crore.
During the G-20 Summit, in the program held at Rajghat to pay tribute to the revered Bapu, the Prime Minister not only gave global recognition to Khadi by welcoming the world leaders with Khadi clothes but also inspired the people of the country to buy Khadi.
As a result, on the day of Gandhi Jayanti, there was a huge rush of people to buy Khadi products at Khadi Bhawan in Connaught Place, Delhi.
If we look at the figures for the last three years of sales on the day of Gandhi Jayanti, every year the sales have crossed the figure of Rs 1 crore.
But this is the first time that the sales figure has jumped to Rs 1.5 crore. While the sale of Khadi and Village Industries products was Rs 1.01 crore in FY 2021-22 and it increased to Rs 1.34 crore in the year 2022-23, the sales figure crossed Rs 1.52 crore in this financial year, said the statement.
All these figures make it evident that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'Khadi of India" has become the forerunner of "Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan" in the country, it said.
—ANI