PUNE: Khadi for nation, khadi for fashion: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to promote the signature fabric of India has caught on.
After getting the diktat from the Central government, Maharashtra police officers and personnel will don khadi once a week. The Director General of Police (DGP) office issued a circular in this regard to all police units in the State.
All police commissioners and superintendents of police (SP) have been asked to send compliance reports to the General Administration Department (GAD). There are about 2.4 lakh police officers and personnel in the State.
Special IG (Administration) Anup Kumar Singh from the DGP office stated in the circular: “The Central government has come up with several schemes to promote khadi and village industries (KVI). The government has also appealed to its employees to wear khadi dress at least once a week. We should support KVI which will increase self-employment. Therefore, all officers and personnel must get one set of khadi dress/ uniform and wear it once a week. The unit commanders must see to it that the employees are using khadi dress.”
A policeman said, “I don’t mind wearing khadi. But why the government has to tell me which fabric I should wear? Will they give allowance for khadi uniforms?”
Last year the GAD issued a circular making it compulsory for all government and semi-government employees to wear khadi at least once a week. The circular reads: “It’s our duty to help promote khadi. The government is trying to increase khadi sales as it provides employment opportunities. We should use hand-woven fabric as much as possible.” The circular states that offices that have a dress code too should try to get one pair stitched in khadi.
