Ready to wear khadi if it's cheap: State govt staff

Bengaluru: Karnataka state government employees said they'd be happy to wear khadi once a week, following a proposal put forth by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, but women staff said the homespun material is more expensive than other blends available in the market.
"Khadi is our product. Employees in Karnataka are ready to welcome such a move should the Centre make it," said B P Manje Gowda, president, Karnataka State Government Employees' Association.The Central government is considering a plea from the Khadi and Village Industries Commission to request employees to wear clothes made from the hand-spun fabric at least once a week as part of a plan to boost khadi production and benefit small weavers across the country.
However, some employees said khadi material and saris are expensive, though they like the suggestion. "The government must make it cheaper and affordable for us to wear it," said Nagamani, a government employee in the agriculture marketing department. The prices of khadi blend saris start at Rs 5,000 on online stores.
Nagamani said women prefer cotton or silk to khadi because of the price factor. "If the government plans to introduce an affordable range, then we will definitely use khadi material and saris. It will be far more comfortable to wear khadi in summer, especially in north Karnataka which experiences severe heat waves," she said.