NEW DELHI: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Friday became the first Central Armed Police Force to do a full-fledged procurement of a variety of ‘swadeshi’ and ‘khadi’ goods for around 10 lakh personnel of the CAPF.
The border force inked a deal with the KVIC and it will procure 1,200 quintals of mustard oil from the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) with “a total financial implication of over Rs 1.73 crore”. “A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two sides on Friday.
The aim is to increasingly procure ‘swadeshi’ or indigenously made products,” he said. The MoU was signed by KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena and officials of the ITBP procurement wing in Delhi. The ITBP, which guards the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, is the first among the paramilitary or CAPFs to ink such a deal. The CRPF, CISF, BSF and SSB are the other CAPFs.
In May, Home Minister Amit Shah had announced that the CAPF canteens will only sell indigenous products from June. “Approximately 2.5 lakh durries will be procured by ITBP at a cost of Rs 17 crore. The force is the nodal agency for procurement of durries for all CAPFs,” ITBP spokesperson said.