Kakinada: Khadi Bandar staff on brink of starvation

Kakinada: The East Godavari district Khadi and Rural development organization (Khadi Bandar) employees have lost their income due to Covid-19 pandemic and lack of sales for their products. The employees are now facing one of their toughest challenges in Covid-19 crisis period. Khadi and Rural Development organization district secretary and manager G Siva Rama Krishna told The Hans India here on Friday that in the wake of Covid-19 the sales have come down and in fact there have been no salaries for their employees for the last four months. He said that they have five Khadi Bandar outlets at Kakinada, Rajamahendravarm, Pithapuram, Ravulapalem and Razole (Y Gannavaram) in the district. He said that during the lockdown period (April, May, June) they have sold the khadi items to the tune of Rs 30,000. Many people are reluctant to purchase Khadi items in view of the exorbitant price.

Previously there were nearly 30 employees working in the Khadi Bhandar outlets. Now the number has dwindled to six. He stated that the employees are on the brink of starvation in view of lack of salaries. He said that they are unable to pay the rental charges also. He said that as per the norms of the Khadi Commission they have to depend upon the margin from the sales and the present plight of the employees is due to the sudden decline in the sales of the Khadi cloth. They are prepared to boost the sales and bring profits to the commission if they are given salaries regularly sans delay. Khadi commission is insisting upon audit report, but they are not in a position to get the audit reports in view of financial crunch. Now they requested the Khadi Commission to auction their properties and come to the rescue of the employees by the amounts accrued from the auction.

Khadi Commission Assistant Director, Viskakhapatnam R Srinivas Rao reacted against the complaints of the employees and disagreed with their contention. He said that the amounts earmarked for them during 2016 have been embezzled and thereby they lost the confidence of the authorities. As per the rules they should submit the audit reports. But they have not submitted them so far. And hence the denial of the salaries. Srinivasa Rao assured that he would bring their problems to the notice of higher officials and do justice to them.