Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Vikramjit Singh, today visited Bandipora and reviewed the functioning of the Wool/Tweed Cluster established under the World Bank-funded Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP).
During the visit, the Commissioner Secretary also took stock of works on upcoming Industrial Estate at Chewa Sumbal.
The Commissioner Secretary was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Indu Kanwal Chib and Director Handicrafts and Handloom Mussarat ul Islam.
On the occasion, the Commissioner Secretary took first-hand appraisal of Bandipora Weavers Producer Company and interacted with artisans and weavers and directed for creating marketing linkages for the company.
He stated that the gaps in infrastructure and development will be addressed under the National Handicrafts and Handloom Development Programme, an umbrella initiative of the Ministry of Textiles that provides holistic support to handicraft artisans and handloom weavers in areas such as infrastructure, skill development, design, marketing, raw materials, and financial assistance.
Vikramjit Singh appreciated the work being carried out by the artisans and stressed the need for concrete measures to further strengthen the cluster. He directed the concerned officers of the Industries & Commerce Department and District Industries Centre (DIC) Bandipora to extend all necessary support in scaling up production, enhancing quality, and creating stronger market linkages for the products.
Later, the Commissioner Secretary visited the upcoming Industrial Estate at Chewa Sumbal to take stock of ongoing development works and review issues pertaining to its establishment. He was accompanied by General Manager DIC Bandipora, Sameer Ahmad Jan, and Functional Manager, Abdul Rouf Gilkar.
The Commissioner Secretary on the occasion was informed that the wool/tweed being produced in Bandipora has significant demand in markets across India and abroad.