As schools in Arunachal Pradesh are set to reopen for class VIII students from January 4, the state government is procuring another 1 lakh tri-colour Khadi face masks for its schoolchildren, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry said.
Arunachal Pradesh is the first state government in Northeast India that has purchased such a huge quantity of Khadi face masks for its students.
The MSME ministry stated in a release that a repeat order comes just over a month after KVIC supplied 60,000 face masks to the Arunachal Pradesh government in November.
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. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) will deliver the masks by December 27.
KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said the repeat order for the 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 an 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,” Saxena said.
The ministry stated that KVIC will provide double-layered, tri-colour cotton face masks to Arunachal Pradesh government with its logo suitably placed on the masks. The face masks in tri-colour also aim at instilling a sense of nationalism among the students.
“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.
The ministry also stated that 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.
KVIC has sold over 25 lakh face masks in nearly eight 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, the release added.
