Lok Sabha Question No. 3568 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-23
Subject: Value Addition in Pashmina Products
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: PREM DAS RAI

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3568 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2017

## VALUE ADDITION IN PASHMINA PRODUCTS

## 3568.  SHRI PREM DAS RAI:

## Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंरी

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  taking  any  steps  for  value  addition  in  the  Pashmina products of Leh;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the steps taken to improve handloom infrastructure in the mountain States; and
- (d) the details of expenditure incurred during each of the last three years and the current year and the results achieved, State-wise?

## उत्तर

## ANSWER वस्त्र      मंरी (श्री अज      )

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES (SHRI AJAY TAMTA)

- (a) & (b): Ministry of Textiles is implementing two schemes under 12 th Five Year Plan programme,  namely,  (i)  Pashmina  Promotion  Programme  (P-3)  and  (ii)  Pashmina  Wool Development Scheme (PWDS) in Leh and Kargil in  Ladakh region of  J.  &  K  State.    For value addition of Pashmina products in Leh, following components have been taken under above mentioned schemes:-
- i) Installation  of  new  Pashmina  Dehairing  Plant  at  Leh  with  the  following objectives:-
-  To increase the Dehairing capacity and improve the Dehairing quality
-  Better value addition through latest technology dehairing machine
-  To increase the Pashmina procurement and ensure  better returns to Pashmina breeders
- ii) Value addition of pashmina wool through spinning and weaving by distribution of Handloom and spinning wheel (charkha) with the following objectives:-
-  Introduction of processing facility of Pashmina wool after Dehairing process.
-  Value addition of Pashmina wool in Leh itself/ locally.
-  Increase the income of Pashmina breeders with primary spinning facility.
-  Creation of employment opportunity to the youth especially women.

(c) & (d): The  Central  Wool  Development  Board  (CWDB),  Jodhpur  has  sanctioned two short term training projects (One year duration) each in favour of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh  and Kargil districts under which 40 trainees are trained    in  4  batch  of  3  months  duration  in  each  project  for  training  in  manufacturing  of Woollen Handloom Products  Under this project, provision has also been made to provide Looms/Charkas  to  each  trainee  for  self-employment  generation  with  financial  support  of Rs. 10,000/- per set of loom/charka.  An expenditure of Rs.6.27 lakh and Rs.19.81 lakh has been incurred in the year 2015-16 and 2016-17 respectively for these projecgs.

Further,  in  order  to  develop  handloom  products,  including  pashmina  products,  the Government of India through the Office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms has sanctioned 4 Block Level Clusters  i.e. (i) North Srinagar, (ii) Anchar, (iii) Safakadal and (iv) Ilahi Bagh in 2015-16 and 2016-17 (till date) and released an amount of Rs.1.68 crore as first installment. Under  Block  Level Cluster, a component  of  National  Handloom Development Programme, financial assistance is provided for setting up of Common Facility Centre/Dye  House  in  cluster  sanctioned  in  the  country,  including  mountain  States.    Block level  cluster  approach  was  introduced  in  June  2015  and  duration  of  its  implementation  is 3 years.

A statement showing the details of financial assistance provided to various States for development of block level cluster during the year 2015-16 and the current year is as under:-

| Details of funds released for Block Cluster in Hilly States during the year 2015-16 and the current year (till date) (Rs. in lakh)   | Details of funds released for Block Cluster in Hilly States during the year 2015-16 and the current year (till date) (Rs. in lakh)   | Details of funds released for Block Cluster in Hilly States during the year 2015-16 and the current year (till date) (Rs. in lakh)   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Name of State                                                                                                                        | 2015-16                                                                                                                              | 2016-17 (till date)                                                                                                                  |
| Assam                                                                                                                                | 461.436                                                                                                                              | 1046.4594                                                                                                                            |
| Jammu &Kashmir                                                                                                                       | 121.476                                                                                                                              | 109.775                                                                                                                              |
| Meghalaya                                                                                                                            | 180.632                                                                                                                              | -                                                                                                                                    |
| Nagaland                                                                                                                             | 320.666                                                                                                                              | 57.300                                                                                                                               |
| Uttrakhand                                                                                                                           | 40.3925                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                      |

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