The Union Textiles Minister Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar dedicated five Solarised Community Centre and 100 shelter homes for the benefit of the nomads (wool-growers) involved in Pashmina sheep rearing, in very hard conditions; in Ladakh region .
The Minister travelled six hours by road in Karzok and Samad in the Changthang area to interact with the nomads. During the interaction, the Minister announced that all other kinds of help in respect of marketing of raw pashmina and linking pashmina products with tourism would be facilitated by Government of India.
The Minister also informed that during the last two years, animal productivity (average pashmina yield) has gone up by 9.30%. He said that mortality of livestock has come down and critical rural infrastructure has been created under the scheme during this period, in remote and nomadic areas, situated mostly in border areas. Shri Gangwar noted that the health and body weight of animals have improved, socio-economic status of Pashmina breeders has improved and returns from Pashmina wool have gone up. The Minister said that Pashmina development schemes have ultimately resulted in increase profitability to herders engaged in Pashmina goat rearing, making it extremely popular among the livestock-rearing nomads of the Ladakh region.