Advisor Ladakh chairs meeting

Leh, Aug 19: The Advisor to the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Dr Pawan Kotwal, chaired a meeting to discuss the promotion of Pashmina spinning machines and subsidy schemes to boost the Pashmina industry in UT Ladakh, here.

The meeting aimed to explore ways to enhance the production and quality of Pashmina products, thereby improving the livelihoods of local artisans and stakeholders.

During the meeting, the President of Phobrang Cooperative Society highlighted the importance of quality in Pashmina yarn and loom production. He suggested that the introduction of more spinning machines and equipment is crucial to producing high-quality looms and yarns. He stressed that this would not only improve the livelihoods of women artisans but also contribute to the preservation of Ladakh's cultural heritage.

After comprehensive deliberations and discussions, it was decided that keeping in view the importance of the Scheme in promoting the pashmina yarn making locally and the economic profile of the spinning and weaving cooperatives, the component of subsidy could be raised to 90% for the procurement of Ashford-type equipment and a component of training and capacity building be included in the Scheme.

The Advisor Dr Pawan Kotwal emphasised the importance of preserving traditional craftsmanship while embracing modern technology to increase efficiency and productivity. He directed officials to formulate a comprehensive plan to promote Pashmina spinning machines and subsidy schemes, ensuring maximum benefits to the local community.

The Commissioner/Secretary of Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Dr Laltinkhuma Franklin suggested that the new Dehairing plant at Leh, once commissioned, would provide high-quality pashmina wool to the craftsperson for making yarn.

The Administrative Secretary of Cooperatives, Michael D'Souza said that a rotating corpus fund could be set up for making the Dehairing pashmina wool available to the members of the cooperatives and the facility of marketing could be provided for the pashmina yarn produced by them.

Dr Pawan Kotwal directed the officials to replicate the successful model of Phobrang across Ladakh, ensuring widespread benefits to the local community. He instructed the District Magistrate, Leh to formulate an attractive scheme, incorporating a revolving fund and training component, to be implemented at the earliest.

The initiative aims to enhance the production and quality of Pashmina products, improve the livelihoods of local artisans, and promote Ladakh's rich cultural heritage.