Skilling, Labour, Talent for MSMEs: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on Tuesday said that it has partnered with the Goa Government to boost employment opportunities in the state. As part of the initiative, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant and KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena had recently distributed electric potter wheels to 160 families and new models spinning wheels to 50 trained women that will create direct jobs for 700 people, said a statement by the Ministry of MSME.
KVIC would also be setting up a Lijjat Papad unit in Goa that would generate 200 direct jobs for the women in the state. The unit along with spinning wheels and weaving activity are first of its kind in the state. Also, electric potter wheels have been distributed for the first time to replace the traditional potter wheel that was quite labour intensive and less productive. So far, KVIC has helped 1,000 Goa people with jobs through this support.
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KVIC identified beneficiaries from multiple places in Goa including Morjim, Old Goa, Panjim, Bicholim etc., in the last two months and organised training programmes for them in pottery, beekeeping, spinning, and papad making to help people in job creation. Saxena said that KVIC will generate 10,000 new jobs in this fiscal year in the state.
KVIC, which participated in the recently held state’s global expo and summit to showcase (Khadi and Village Industries) KVI products, saw sales worth Rs 60 lakhs during the three-day event.
MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari in order to promote KVI products has been stressing on its use in order to help small enterprises in KVI grow. Recently, commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi had launched KVI products such as bamboo bottle, soap etc. Saxena, on the other hand, had stressed on increasing the annual turnover of KVIC to Rs 5,000 crore in the coming years from currently around Rs 3,000 crore.
