Textiles Minister dedicates five Solarised Community Centres and 100 Shelter Homes for benefit of wool growers in Ladakh
Average
Pashmina yield up by 9.30% during last two years: Textiles Minister
Pashmina
development schemes have resulted in increased profitability to herders, making
it extremely popular: Textiles Minister
The Union Textiles Minister Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar dedicated
five Solarised Community Centre and 100 shelter homes for the benefit of the
nomads (wool-growers) involved in Pashmina sheep rearing, in very hard
conditions; in Ladakh region yesterday.
The Minister travelled six hours by road in Karzok and
Samad in the Changthang area to interact with the nomads. During the
interaction, the Minister announced that all other kinds of help in respect of
marketing of raw pashmina and linking pashmina products with tourism would be
facilitated by Government of India.
The Minister also informed that during the last two
years, animal productivity (average pashmina yield) has gone up by 9.30%. He
said that mortality of livestock has come down and critical rural
infrastructure has been created under the scheme during this period, in remote
and nomadic areas, situated mostly in border areas. Shri Gangwar noted that the
health and body weight of animals have improved, socio-economic status of Pashmina
breeders has improved and returns from Pashmina wool have gone up. The Minister
said that Pashmina development schemes have ultimately resulted in increase
profitability to herders engaged in Pashmina goat rearing, making it extremely
popular among the livestock-rearing nomads of the Ladakh region.
Background
Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his visit to Leh on 12th August, 2014, announced Pashmina Promotion Programme (P-3)
with additional financial assistance of Rs. 30 crore for improving quality and
quantity of pashmina wool as well as living standards of nomads (wool
growers) of Ladakh region.
Under this Programme, financial assistance is being
provided under different components like Creation of Common Pashmina
Facilitation Centre for Wool testing, Disease Surveillance Centre, Geographic
Information System (GIS) Lab, Shelter for Nomads, Portable Electric Units for
Handloom Spinning/Weaving, Solarised Community Centres, Open Fodder enclosures,
Distribution of Foundation Stock (male
& female goats) to farmers and construction of Shelter for Housing of
Pashmina animals.
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DJM
(Release ID :146311)