Soon, chai to be served in 'kulhads' in railway stations, airports, and malls
MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari said he has written a letter to Commerce and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal to make use of kulhad at 100 railway stations.
Soon, your favourite cup of tea may be served in eco-friendly 'kulhads' (clay cups with no handles) across all major railway stations, stalls at bus depots and airports, and malls across the country. This is according to Union Transport and MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari, who has written to Commerce and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal in this regard.
Currently, caterers at two railway stations, Varanasi and Rae Bareli, use terracotta-made 'kulhads', glasses, and plates.
"I have written a letter to Piyush Goyal to make use of kulhad mandatory at 100 railway stations and also suggested airports and State transport undertakings having tea stalls at bus depots to make the use of kulhads mandatory. We will also encourage malls to have kulhad tea stalls," Gadkari said.
The Minister for Road Transport & Highways and MSME said the move is expected to provide a huge market for local potters and also help conserve the environment by eliminating the use of paper and plastics to serve beverages.
Gadkari said he has also instructed the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to supply equipment for large-scale production of kulhads as their demand increases.
"We distributed 10,000 electric wheels to potters for making kulhads last year. This year, we have set a target of distributing 25,000 electric wheels," KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said.
Under the Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana, the government has been distributing electric wheels to potters to increase their productivity.
In 2004, then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav had introduced 'kulhads' to boost the pottery industry and also give passengers a taste of eco-friendly cups. He had made it clear that hot beverages should be served only in 'kulhads'.
Gadkari and Goyal are also working together on Bharatcraft, a government ecommerce portal for MSMEs.
"We have also talked to GeM (Government e-Market place) and I have also discussed with Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Industry Minister). We are launching a new portal for MSME," Gadkari said.
The government portal is meant for selling products manufactured by small industries. Citing an example, he said that through this portal, even a beekeeper can sell his/her product to any part of the world.
Gadkari also expressed confidence that it will generate a turnover of Rs 10 lakh crore in two years after its launch.
(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)
