Gawal: District Collector B..M. Santosh urged traditional artisans to take full advantage of the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, a scheme designed to enhance their economic stability. Speaking at a one-day awareness program held on Thursday at the IDOC Conference Hall, the Collector emphasized that the Central Government introduced the scheme to support and uplift artisans and traditional caste-based professions that are gradually disappearing.

He explained that the scheme aims to enhance the skills of artisans, improve productivity, and ensure financial empowerment through skill development, better product quality, and economic assistance. The initiative covers 18 traditional professions, including blacksmiths, potters, carpenters, goldsmiths, washermen, barbers, toddy tappers, basket weavers, tailors, and more. The government will provide training and loans to help them establish small, micro, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Under this scheme, beneficiaries will receive a Vishwakarma Certificate, an ID card, skill development training, toolkits, financial assistance, digital transaction incentives, and marketing support. The eligibility criteria specify that only one person per family, aged 18 and above, can enroll, and the applicant should not be a government employee. No educational qualifications are required.

To register, applicants must visit their nearest Common Service Center (CSC) and apply online using their ration card, Aadhaar card, bank passbook, and mobile number. The applications will be screened at the village panchayat level and forwarded to the district-level implementation committee.

Training & Financial Support

Selected beneficiaries will undergo two types of training:

Basic Skill Training (5-7 days)

Advanced Skill Training (15 days)

During training, beneficiaries will receive a daily stipend of ₹500, and upon completion, they will be provided with a toolkit worth ₹15,000 and a certification.

Additionally, the government will provide bank loans in two phases:

₹1 lakh in the first phase

₹2 lakh in the second phase

The Collector urged banks to cooperate in sanctioning loans and requested that any loan-related issues be brought to his attention.

Officials in Attendance

The meeting was attended by District Industries Officer Ramalingeshwar Goud, MSME AD Shiva Ram Prasad, Delhi Representative Sanjeev Kumar Saini, In-charge DPO Nagendram, LDM Ayyappa Reddy, SC Corporation ED Ramesh Babu, and Handloom & Textile Department AD Govindayya.