Rajya Sabha MP & J&K Prabhari Avinash Rai Khanna have floated a proposal about setting up a pashmina processing unit in Ladakh. Kalraj Mishra, Union Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, has conveyed the details regarding this on behalf of the Union government. The Prime Minister had, during his visit to Ladakh, announced a ‘Pashmina Promotion Plan’ for the benefit and development of the poor and nomadic Scheduled Tribe community of this region. This was conveyed officially in the reply. The Textile Ministry has allotted 30 crore rupees for this in the Union Budget of 2014-15.
Moreover, in the SFT meeting that was held later, it approved Rs 19.35 crores for Pashmina Dehairing Plant at Leh; Rs 156 lakh for setting up of Facilitation Centre and Fiber Testing Centre; Rs 200 lakh for provision of Guard Room with residence/shelters numbering 100 units for nomadic of Chungthang, and several other allotments of the kind.
The government has already released Rs 7.19 crore to ensure that the Ladakh Hill Development Council is able to briskly and effectively carry forward the programme of Pashmina Development and Promotion in the region. Besides, more funds, if necessary, have also been promised by the concerned ministry, during the current financial year on receiving the request from the J&K government.
