New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) Indian Railways intends to provide stalls/kiosks at identified stations for the sale and promotion of items sourced from local manufacturers to improve their skills and livelihood, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Parliament on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw said that this is being done under the “One Station, One Product” concept that aims to encourage indigenous and specialised products and crafts of India through providing display and sale outlets on railway stations across the country.
He said the products would be specific to that place and could include artefacts made by indigenous tribes, handlooms by local weavers, handicrafts like world famous wood carving, chikankari and zari-zardozi work on clothes, or spices tea, coffee and other processed/semi processed food items/products indigenously grown in the area.
“A pilot project was launched on March 25, 2022, in each railway zone. One product indigenous to the respective locality/region has been identified and it is envisaged to allot space on the station for sale of the product,” he said.
Some of the stations identified for this purpose include Bihar’s Patna Junction where Madhubani paintings and related products are being showcased, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh where locally made wooden toys called Etikoppaka toys are being displayed and sold, and Odisha’s Balasore where coconut mat products are being promoted.
The other stations where the pilot project has been undertaken include Howrah, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Rajkot, Chennai, Panipat, and Jaipur. PTI ASG KVK RDK
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