Pulwama (J&K): The government may be declaring South Kashmir’s Pulwama district as a Pencil District for its large production of pencil slats. Pulwama is the only district of Jammu and Kashmir where several units for the production of these wooden slats have been set up during the past several years.
Before the ’90s, India used to import wood from countries like Germany and China, for its pencil industry. Now, 70 percent of the required wood is being produced from Pulwama district only. Pertinently, Poplar wood is used for making pencils and the Poplar trees are grown in abundance in this district of South Kashmir.
Even after the slate-making industry has met with a huge setback due to the COVID-19, the government is preparing to announce Pulwama as a pencil district of the country. The concerned industrialists say they met with massive losses after schools were closed due to the COVID lockdown early this year. They say that the demand for pencils has decreased, which eventually harmed their trade. They say that setbacks to the industry have also caused the unemployment of the workers. They also complain that the administration has done nothing to help them, in these times of crisis.
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Some of the Unit holders talked to ETV Bharat:
1. The unit holders say that there are a large number of people affiliated with the slate making industry and their livelihood is wholly dependent on this industry.
2. “We make wooden slates for the pencils and then send these slates to Jammu based pencil industries. We do not make pencils here because pencil manufacturing in the Valley would be expensive due to the transportation charges of the raw material.” Wali Muhammad Dar, a unit holder told ETV Bharat.
3. Unit holders believe that by declaring Pulwama as a pencil district will not only bring revenue but also generate job opportunities here.
What initiatives would the government take to help these slate manufacturing units, who have suffered due to the COVID lockdown is yet to be seen? However, the industrialists are expecting some enduring initiatives by the authorities to make sure that the way for making Pulwama as a pencil district can be paved.
