Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 7: Member of Parliament, Dr Farooq Abdullah today said that Jammu and Kashmir is known for its artistic creations in hand woven Pashmina shawls but added that the heritage industry is facing threat from machine made products.
The Member Parliament was speaking at a function organized by Weavers Service Centre to mark the National Handloom Day.
“Our artisans are known worldwide for producing quality Pashmina Kani Jamawars and Pashmina shawls. The Pashmina industry is providing employment to lakhs of people directly and indirectly in the State and there is huge responsibility on us to preserve this heritage industry,” he said.
The MP said that all possible efforts will be made for preservation and development of the Pashmina industry.
Earlier, officials of the Weavers Service Centre Srinagar said that the Centre as well as State Government is serious about the development of handloom sector as it is second main employment provider after agriculture in the country. They said that National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) has been introduced to ensure holistic development of handloom weavers enabling them to compete with the power loom products.
Joint Director Handloom Development Kashmir, Deputy Director Handloom, Assistant Director Weavers Service Centre Srinagar also spoke on the occasion and highlighted various schemes sponsored by Centre and the State Governments being implemented for the promotion of handloom industry.
Meanwhile, on the occasion of National Handloom Day, the Vice Chairman of Handloom Development Corporation Nizamudin Bhat said that Jammu and Kashmir seems losing against less-known States in the national market and there is a constant decline in manufacturing of heritage products which enjoyed a prime place at global level till recent past.
He said the Corporation’s main role is to become a cushion for promotion of handloom goods and protection of artisans, but is currently overburdened with its own liabilities.
He said that Textiles Ministry of the Union Government could help the State to make handloom sector viable enough to sustain the heritage and also get into an innovative mould in production and marketing.
Bhat said the Corporation has been doing a sustained exercise to improve the quality of goods through quality control and is focused on more market avenues to push the business. The Corporation and Administrative Department is also concerned about the lot of weavers, the availability of raw-material and augmentation in infrastructure, he added.
He sought cooperation from the employees in reach out and proper utilization of available resources to ensure sustainable growth of the sector akin to its historical reputation.
He also sought help from Union Government and State Government for business expansion, skill development and infrastructure building to raise handloom sector to a desired level as an instrument for socio-economic development.
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