SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah launched Kashmir Pashmina geographical indication (GI) mark to be imprinted in the form of label on every hand woven Kashmiri Pashmina Shawl at the Testing and Quality Certification Centre.
The inauguration function was held at Craft Development Centre here today. This will help to stop the sale of fake handicrafts in the name of Kashmir.
The label will be attached to each hand woven Kashmiri Pashmina shawl after testing the originality of fabric, fineness of thread, spinning method and weaving technology.
Kashmir Pashmina Mark would also indicate details of the manufacturer and the quality of the shawl. It carries a number about which all details will be on the website.
Interacting with the Pashmina weavers, traders and other stake holders in the trade, the Chief Minister said restoration of the handicrafts glory of the State and economic prosperity of artisans is his endeavour adding that all possible measures are being put into place in this regard.
‘My effort is to remove all fake handicrafts being sold in the State in the name of Kashmir’, he said, adding that to start with spurious Pashmina shawls would be replaced by the Kashmir patent hand woven original Pashmina shawls to make genuineness rule the roast in Pashmina manufacturing in the state ensuring respect and substantial remuneration to the weavers.
He said establishment of testing laboratory at Craft Development Institute (CDI), Nowshera here is vanguard step to stop fake and unscrupulous trade in Handicrafts sector.
He said Government has already obtained GI for six handicrafts and all these would be provided similar testing facilities and GI marks so that their marketing in the National and International market receive considerable fillip.
Mr Omar gave two years target to Craft Development Institute to replace all fake Pashmina shawls from the market ensuring cent per cent labelling of hand woven patent Kashmir Pashmina so that confidence and trust is built in the world market about the genuineness of Kashmir Pashmina Shawls and a customer could easily identify the fake and the original Kashmir Pashmina shawls. Replying various questions of the artisans, the Chief Minister said his Government would take all possible measures to strengthen the handicrafts sector and ameliorate the lot of artisans.
‘When machine made and fake handicrafts are differentiated from hand-made once, the purchasers would buy the genuine items thus giving boost to the economy of artisans’, he told them.
The Chief Minister also advised the artisans not to be part in any hanky-panky so far as manufacturing of genuine and pure Kashmir Handicrafts are concerned.
He told them that their respect and economic betterment is in scrupulous dealing and honest manufacturing.
