The Kerala Khadi and Village Industries Board, whose Onam-Ramzan special sales melas opened on Thursday, has set a Rs 50-crore sales target during the festival period.

K.P. Norudeen, Vice-Chairman of the Board, told Business Line that he hoped the sales turnover during the Onam-Ramzan season, the peak shopping period in the State, would be a third more than last year’s Rs 35 crore.

The focus of the melas will be on handmade textiles and handicrafts. There will be a 30 per cent rebate on all goods. The rebates are offered jointly by the Central and State governments in order to give a fillip to the khadi industry.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will formally launch the State-level mela at a ceremony at Kochi on Saturday. Ministers will open the melas at district levels.

Noorudeen said that more people were now interested in buying and using khadi products, especially textiles. A major objective of the melas is to popularise khadi as a way of life. Since lakhs of people, mainly in the rural areas, relied on khadi manufacture for their livelihood, using khadi products will also mean supporting them, Noorudeen said.

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