At least 15 stations on Central Railway will sell handicrafts, textile, handloom products and food items made by artisans and tribals inside railway stations. Some stations identified by CR are Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Byculla, Parel, and Dadar among others, where these items shall be sold to railway passengers. This is the first of its kind activity being done on the suburban rail where artisans will be directly interacting with their customers at one of the largest open platforms available to them.
According to senior officials from Central Railway, they have shortlisted 15 railway stations that also include Sion, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Bhandup, Mulund, Thane, Kalyan, Ambernath, Badlapur, Lonavala, Igatpuri and Panvel apart from the ones mentioned above. These stations are part of Indian Railways’ ‘One Station, One Product’ concept where in railway premises will be opened up for artisans, people with specialized skills, craftsmen, handloom weavers, potters and tribals who hold valid government-issued ID cards, registered with self-help groups and micro enterprises.
“The whole idea is that these artisans having skillsets can sell their products and produce at railway stations that will be provided space to set up business,” said a senior railway official. Designated places for promotion and sale at these stations will be allotted on a first-come, first-serve basis which shall be decided by the first week of May.
Some of the products that will be available for sale are leather products, craft jewellery, textile goods, handloom items, bamboo and decorative items, jute bags, stone and paper art products, chikki, fudge, seasonal fruits and processed food. Each station has been allotted with individual products that will be sold. The CR authorities have also extended this at other railway stations of Kolhapur, Burhanpur, Solapur and Nagpur as well which is a push for Atmanirbhar Bharat and Vocal for Local initiatives of the government.
