The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd), flagged off vehicles containing pashmina kid pens for their distribution in the Changthang area under the Special Development package from the Office of the Director, Animal/Sheep Husbandry on October 14.

Secretary, Animal/Sheep Husbandry, Ravinder Kumar, and Director, Animal/Sheep Husbandry, Dr Mohd Iqbal informed that the kidding pens would be distributed among beneficiaries in the Changthang area to reduce the mortality of pashmina goat kids in the winter months. They also informed the LG about various benefits provided to the nomads, viz. distribution of nomadic kits, construction of pre-fabricated insulated houses, distribution of portable toilets, establishment of demo units, etc. 

They further informed the LG about milk replacer, and pasture/feed provided to pashmina goats and their kids to meet their nutritional needs along with necessary steps being taken to keep them safe from diseases.

He also visited the stalls where artificial insemination kits, solar lanterns/torches, solarised milk churners, yak wool products, raw and dehaired pashmina, tattooing branding machines, milk replacer, pashmina comb, and shearing machines were displayed. 

He also inspected the rebo tent used by the nomads in the Changthang, instructing the concerned officials to ensure that there is zero mortality of pashmina goat kids in the winter months. 

The L-G stated that the pashmina kid pens should be distributed equally among the nomads in a fair and transparent manner. He emphasised the importance of branding of high mountain goats of Ladakh so that the nomads can avail its benefits and also highlighted the need for the marketing of yak wool products in national and international markets.

LG asked the concerned officials to provide milk replacers, wherever needed, to meet the nutritional needs of the pashmina goat kids. He instructed the concerned officials to ensure that pre-fabricated insulated houses are distributed among those nomads who will actually use these houses in the winter.

MP, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal; EC, LAHDC Leh, Tashi Namgyal Yakzee; Councillors Konchok Stanzin, Karma Namdak; Secretary, Animal/Sheep Husbandry, Ravinder Kumar; Director, Animal/Sheep Husbandry, Dr Mohd Iqbal; DSHO, Dr Tundup Namgail and other concerned officials were present during the event.