PM Vishwakarma scheme will bring artisans, craftsmen to mainstream, says Parshottam Rupala

PM Modi helping artisans/craftsmen upgrade skills with Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana. Financial aid, toolkit, training, loan, quality certification, branding, e-commerce support given. 30 lakh artisans to be covered in 5 yrs, ₹13,000 cr budget outlay. Artisans/craftsmen, home makers thank govt for support.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is bringing artisans and craftsmen to the mainstream and helping them to upgrade their skill with Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana, said Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala here on Sunday, September 17.

Speaking at a function organised to launch the scheme in Mangaluru, Mr. Rupala said the scheme is to give financial aid to carpenter, boat builder, fishing net maker, goldsmith, potter, doll and toy maker, barber, sculptor, cobbler and a total of 18 craftsmen and artisans. “With this scheme, the government is helping craftsmen to earn livelihood from their traditional trade. It will also help them to upgrade their skill by adopting latest technology,” he said.

One from the family of artisan or craftsmen aged 18 and above has to register for the scheme. He or she will be given a toolkit incentive of ₹15,000. The beneficiaries will be given basic skill training with stipend of ₹500 per day. After the basic training, the beneficiary will receive collateral-free loan up to ₹1 lakh with 18 month repayment tenure. He/she can undergo advanced training and avail second tranche of loan upto ₹2 lakh. The beneficiary will receive support for quality certification, branding, on-boarding on e-commerce platform, and linkage to domestic and global value-chains.

Mr. Rupala said Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Department of Financial Services of Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises are the co-executors of this scheme. National Steering Committee, State Monitoring Committee and District Implementation Committee have been formed for implementing the scheme. The Central government proposes to cover 30 lakh artisans in the period between 2023-24 and 2027-28 and a budget outlay of ₹13,000 crore has been made for this period, he said.

Earlier, during their brief interaction with Mr. Rupala, Nandakishore, a second generation boat builder, thanked the Central government for showing interest in skilled and unskilled personnel involved in boat making and other traditional trades. Prakash Acharya, a goldsmith for over two decades, said lack of financial support had pushed goldsmiths to brink of extinction. Vanishri Shetty, a tailor, said the scheme will empower home maker like her.

Karnataka Minister for Fisheries, Ports and Inland Water Transport Mankal S. Vaidya, D. Vedavyas Kamath, Mangaluru City South MLA; Y. Bharath Shetty, Mangaluru City North MLA; Kota Srinivas Poojary, MLC; Director of Fisheries Dinesh Kumar, and Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner M.P. Mullai Muhilan, participated in the function.