Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Shrikant Balasaheb Suse convened a meeting to discuss various issues related to the development of Pashmina in Leh district on February 23.

Chief Planning Officer, Leh, Tsewang Gyaltson; District Sheep Husbandry Officer, Leh, Dr. Tundup Namgyal; Deputy Registrar Cooperative, Leh, Dr. Mohammad Abbas, and President, All Changthang Pashmina Growers Co-operative Marketing Society (ACPGCMS), President, Dorjay Stanzin took part in the meeting. 

Discussion was held on repair and maintenance of existing pashmina dehairing plant in Leh, clean harvesting and collection of pashmina fibre, pre-evaluation of random pashmina fibre samples to determine the rate of pashmina based on colour and quality, procurement of pashmina by Pashmina Cooperative Society, and improving the governance and expand the membership of ACPGCMS. 

DC Leh assured the President of ACPGCMS that the repair and maintenance work of the dehairing plant would be completed on a fast track basis. While discussing clean harvesting and collection of pashmina fibre, he called to provide tarpaulin and combing materials at the earliest to pashmina growers under Changthang package, and other Govt. supported initiatives for clean harvesting of pashmina.

To boost the production of good quality pashmina, DC Leh also directed to constitute a committee for the proper evaluation of pashmina produce in villages to categorize the product and the rate of pashmina wool according to its quality. 

DRC Leh, Dr. Abbas was asked to frame an action plan to procure 100 percent pashmina by the Pashmina Cooperative Society. He also asked Dr. Abbas to look for subsidy schemes available to provide help to the pashmina growers. 

Organising awareness camps for all stakeholders engaged in the pashmina industry and problems faced by them in availing loans from the bank, and testing pashmina wool at labs, were also discussed during the meeting.