New Delhi, 15 September: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a new scheme named “PM Vishwakarma” on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti on September 17 at around 11 am at the India International Convention and Expo Centre, Dwarka, New Delhi.
Giving this information on Friday, the Prime Minister’s Office said that the Prime Minister’s continuous focus has been on providing assistance to people engaged in traditional crafts. This focus is driven not only by the desire to financially support the artisans and craftsmen but also to keep the age-old tradition, culture and diverse heritage alive and thriving through local products, arts and crafts.
PM Vishwakarma will be fully funded by the central government with an outlay of Rs 13,000 crore.
Under the scheme, free registration of Vishwakarmas will be done through Common Service Centers using biometric based PM Vishwakarma Portal. They will be provided recognition through PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card. Skill upgradation linked to basic and advanced training, toolkit incentive of Rs 15,000, collateral-free credit assistance up to Rs 1 lakh (1st tranche) and Rs 2 lakh (2nd tranche) will be provided. Concessional interest rate of 5 percent, incentives for digital transactions and marketing assistance will also be available.
The objective of the scheme is to strengthen and nurture the family-based practice of traditional skills by Guru-Shishya Parampara or Vishwakarmas working with their own hands and tools.
The main focus of PM Vishwakarma is to improve the accessibility as well as quality of products and services of artisans and craftsmen and ensure that they are integrated with domestic and global value chains.
The scheme will provide assistance to artisans and craftsmen in rural and urban areas across India. Eighteen traditional crafts will be included under PM Vishwakarma.
These include (i) carpenter; (ii) boat builders; (iii) Armored; (iv) Blacksmith; (v) Hammer and tool kit manufacturers; (vi) Locksmith; (vii) Goldsmith; (viii) Potter; (ix) Sculptor, stone breaker; (x) Cobbler (shoe/shoe artisan); (xi) Mason; (xii) Basket/mat/broom makers/coir weavers; (xiii) Doll and toy makers (traditional); (xiv) Barber; (xv) Garland maker; (xvi) Washerman; (xvii) Tailor; and (xviii) fishing net manufacturers.
