Handwoven Pashmina shawls from Kashmir will now come with quality assurance in the form of Geographical Indication (GI) mark.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today launched the Kashmir Pashmina GI mark to be imprinted in the form of label on every hand woven Kashmiri Pashmina Shawl.
The GI mark will be imprinted at the Testing and Quality Certification Centre, which was also inaugurated by the Chief Minister at Craft Development Centre here.
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, an official spokesman said.
He said the label carries a number about and can be verified from 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.
"My effort is to remove all fake handicrafts being sold in the State in the name of Kashmir," he said.
To start with fake Pashmina shawls would be replaced by the Kashmir patent hand woven original Pashmina shawls to make genuineness rule the roost in Pashmina manufacturing in the state, ensuring respect and substantial remuneration to the weavers, he added.
Omar said establishment of testing laboratory at Craft Development Institute (CDI) at Nowshera here is vanguard step to stop fake and unscrupulous trade in handicrafts sector.
He said Government has already obtained geographical indication for six handicrafts and all these would be provided similar testing facilities and geographical indication marks so that their marketing in the National and International market receive considerable fillip.
