Pulwama:Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama region, which had gained headlines due to terrorism incidents, will soon be the pencil slate production hub of the country, media reports said.
Pulwama is making pencils of soft slate and now 90 per cent of the raw material supply will be sourced from 17 units set up in the district.
All major companies of pencil making units in the country are now procuring their slates from Pulwama.
Manzoor Ahmad Ellahi, who has been in the business since 2010 and among the first to start the business in Kashmir told: “First made the blocks and later got the machines to make the slates. Poplar wood is used for it, and it grows in abundance in Kashmir, he also says that around 150 employees both men and women are working in his factory.”
General Manager District Industries Centre (DIC) Pulwama Zahoor Magray told, “In Pulwama district, there are 17 slate pencil factories in which 11 are in the organized sector and 6 in the unorganized sector.”
“If I give details of full country 90 per cent of slate supplies are sent from Kashmir Valley and out of this 80 per cent raw material is supplied from district Pulwama and being sent to major pencil factories like Natraj etc,” he said.
