KVIC cancels certification of Mumbai Khadi and Village Industries for selling fake products

New Delhi: Khadi and Village Industries Commission on Saturday said it has cancelled the Khadi Certification issued to its oldest Khadi institution, the Mumbai Khadi & Village Industries Association, for alleged sale of non-Khadi products.

The institution was running the Khadi Emporium at Metropolitan Insurance House, a heritage building, located in Mumbai since 1954. "With cancellation of the registration, Khadi Emporium ceases to be a genuine Khadi outlet and is no longer permitted to sell Khadi products from the Emporium. "KVIC is also contemplating legal action against the MKVIA for criminal breach of trust and cheating public at large by misusing the credibility and popularity of brand Khadi," an official statement said.

The action came after KVIC found that the Khadi Emporium at Dr D.N. Road was selling non-Khadi products in the guise of genuine Khadi. During routine inspection, its officials collected samples from the Emporium that were found to be non-Khadi products. Consequently, KVIC issued a legal notice to MKVIA for flouting the norms of Khadi Certificate and Khadi Mark Certificate issued by the Commission.

KVIC had, in the year 1954, handed over the operation and management of Khadi Emporium to MKVIA, a registered Khadi institution, on the strict condition that it would sell only Genuine Khadi Products from the emporium, the statement said.