Country’s 90% pencil slate demand met by Kashmir: PM Modi

ZT WEB TEAM

(This news item had earlier been published here in an unedited form. Inconvenience to readers is regretted)

Srinagar: Nearly 90 per cent of the demand for pencil slate in the country is met by Kashmir Valley, and Pulwama has an enormous share in that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

While lauding the efforts made by Manzoor Ahmed Elahi from Pulwama who is offering pencil slate to large corporations in India, PM Modi in his Mann ki Baat programme said, “At one time we used to import the wooden for pencils, however now our Pulwama is making the nation self-reliant in this area.”

“At this moment, Pulwama in Kashmir is enjoying an essential function in educating the whole nation. Nearly 90 per cent of the demand for the pencil slate within the nation is met by Kashmir Valley, and Pulwama has an enormous share in that. The Chinar wood from the valley has excessive moisture content and softness which makes it most fit for manufacturing of pencils. Ukhoo in Pulwama is named the pencil village,” Mr Modi further said.

He further said that Manzoor Ahmed Elahi was a traditional woodcutter and was now offering jobs to 200 people.

“Elahi needed to do one thing new so that his future era doesn’t dwell in poverty. He offered his ancestral property and began a unit to make apple wood packing containers. In that process, he got to know that Chinar wood (sic.) is being utilized in pencil manufacturing. After studying this, Manzoor exhibited his entrepreneurial instincts and began supplying well-liked wood packing containers to well-known pencil manufacturing companies. He soon discovered it worthwhile and began making extra earnings. He then bought pencil slate manufacturing equipment and began supplying pencil slate to large corporations of the nation. On behalf of the countrymen, I respect his efforts,” he added.