New Delhi (NVI): As the Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to reopen schools from November 16, for the first time post COVID-19 lockdown, thousands of children will be sporting tri-colour Khadi face masks in the state, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) said.
The aim behind encouraging students to wear tri-colour face mask is to instill a sense of nationalism.
As many as 60,000 high quality Khadi Cotton Face Masks will be produced by KVIC for school children in Arunachal Pradesh, the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium said in a statement.
This is for the first time that a State government in North East India has purchased such a huge quantity of Khadi face masks for its students. The order was placed on November 3, and within 6 days, KVIC has supplied the requisite masks to the government considering the urgency involved.
The statement further said that, KVIC has provided, tri-colour cotton face masks to the state government with its logo suitably placed on the masks. It has used double twisted Khadi fabric for manufacturing of these masks.
These masks helps retain 70 per cent of the moisture content inside while providing an easy passage for the air to pass through. Khadi cotton face masks are washable, reusable and biodegradable.
“The Government of Arunachal Pradesh has decided to open schools for class 10th and 12th from November 16, and also accorded approval for procurement of 60,000 Khadi Cotton face masks from KVIC for the school children,” the purchase order issued by the state government said.
KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said the supply of face masks to Arunachal Pradesh was accorded top priority as it was meant for the students who will be taking classes from November 16.
“This is a prestigious order for KVIC and such big orders create additional job for Khadi artisans. We have supplied the order in just 6 days while ensuring the highest quality standards of face masks,” Saxena added.
Notably, KVIC has sold 23 lakh face masks in just over 6 months since it was launched in April this year. It has received several bulk orders including 12.30 lakh face masks from the Indian Red Cross Society, the ministry noted.
KVIC 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.
-RJV
