International trade centre to come up in J&K

SRINAGAR: The Centre has approved setting up of a Rs 35 crore international trade centre at Pampore in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said on Sunday.

Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) is preparing a design for the proposed centre to be presented to the state government on October 10 and the foundation stone would be laid on the third week of October, Ramesh told reporters before leaving for Delhi at the end of his three-day visit to the state.

He said his Ministry proposes to organise a big Kashmir Expo here in October, which would be an annual feature.

Chennai-based Leather Council is deputing a team to Kashmir next month to explore the possibility of setting up of a footwear industry in the state, he said.

The Union Minister said the Centre was also keen to promote seabuckthorn industry in Leh and apricot in Kargil districts of Ladakh region.

Ramesh said Ladakh is the only place in India where seabuckthorn is produced and the Centre would take all steps to promote it. He said it has rich nutritive as well as medicinal value and would fetch good prices in national and international market.

He said he has asked the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council to prepare a detailed project report at the earliest and submit it to his Ministry.

Ramesh said about 11,000 tonnes of seabuckthorn is produced in Leh which would be increased by 15 to 20 per cent and make it a major industry to create employment in the region.