Anna, Ramdev, I-Day pushed national flag sales
NEW DELHI: The government-owned Khadi store here saw a big jump in the sales of the national flag during April-August, the period marked by Independence Day and agitations against corruption by Gandhian Anna Hazare and Yoga Guru Ramdev. Sales of the tricolour stitched out of Khadi rose by 35 per cent at the flagship outlet of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) here in the five-month period beginning April, according to an official. "The KVIC outlet at Connaught Place sold national flags... worth about Rs 10.5 crore between April and August this year, a 35 per cent jump over the corresponding period last year," KVIC Director S P Singh said.
The outlet raked in Rs 7.79 crore from the sale of the national flag between April and August last year, he said.
Khadi, which is associated with the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was a rallying symbol during the freedom struggle.
Followers of Anna Hazare and Ramdev were carrying the national flags in big numbers while participating in the protest rallies.
Hazare's latest protest was at Ramlila Maidan between August 16 and 28, in support of his demand for a Jan Lokpal Bill to curb corruption.
He had earlier gone on fast at Jantar Mantar from April 5 to 9.
This was followed by a rally by Ramdev at the Ramlila Maidan, in the first week of June.
A senior official of the KVIC said the tricolour is available in six sizes for sale.
The price of the flags varies according to their size. The largest size flags costs Rs 15,820 apiece, while the smaller ones are available for Rs 575 apiece, he said.
While the cloth and special thread for making the flag is prepared at the KVIC at Dharwad, in Karnataka, the printing work is done by KDP Enterprises in Mumbai.
The flags reach the sales counter only after approval by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standard), he added.
The KVIC Delhi Director said overall sales of Khadi soared by nearly Rs 1.37 crore at its main outlet in Connaught Place during the period.
Besides the sale of the national flag, the KVIC business of other Khadi material in Delhi also saw an increase from Rs 4.56 crore to Rs 5.93 crore between April-August, 2011, he said
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