In commemoration of Vishwakarma Jayanti and on the 73rd birth anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the launching program of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme was held at Vanapa Hall, Aizawl at 10:30 AM. The inaugural event was also organised at more than seventy locations in different parts of the country. B.L. Verma, MoS, Ministry of DoNER, Govt. of India, attended the program as the Chief Guest, and Lalruatkima, Minister, RD, I&PR, LR&S Departments, Govt. of Mizoram, was the Guest of Honor. The event was attended by DoNER Ministry Officials, State Govt. Officials, local artisans, and craftsmen, among others.
Chief Guest B.L Verma applauded the initiative taken up by the Union Government for bringing up the new scheme called PM Vishwakarma for the upliftment of local artisans and traditional craftsmen. He also elaborated on the aims and objectives of the scheme and urged the local artisans and traditional craftsmen to avail the scheme and make proper use of it. He assured them that the Central Government, in collaboration with the State Government, will pay due recognition and provide appropriate support to them. He also highlighted various schemes undertaken by the DoNER Ministry.
Guest of Honor I&PR Minister Lalruatkima said that it was indeed a momentous day to launch PM Vishwakarma Scheme to support local artisans, craftsmen, and small businessmen. Support provided to them through the scheme will not only contribute to the preservation of cultural practices but also provide an identity and recognition to them, he added. He thanked all the stakeholders for their sincere efforts and commitment to scale up the unorganised sector and boost their business. He requested people to embrace the newly introduced scheme as their own and foster collective action to make the scheme a resounding success.
Lalmalsawma Pachuau, Secretary to the Govt. of Mizoram, Planning & Programme Implementation Department delivered the welcome remarks followed by short speeches from R. Lalramnghaka, Secretary to the Govt. of Mizoram, Commerce & Industries Department, and Shri Angshuman Dey, Joint Secretary, Ministry of DoNER. Dr. Renu Sharma, Chief Secretary to the Govt. of Mizoram, gave the keynote address on the occasion.
The gathering, along with the rest of the country, joined the nationwide launching program held at India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC)/Yashabhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi via live streaming, which was attended by the Prime Minister of India. Pratap Chhetri, Deputy Director, I& PR Department, summed up the Prime Minister's speech in Mizo after the end of PM's speech. Lalramsanga Sailo, Secretary to the Govt. of Mizoram, Labor, Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (LESDE) proposed the vote of thanks and concluded the program.
What is Vishwakarma Scheme?
The new scheme called PM Vishwakarma Scheme intends to provide recognition and holistic support to the traditional artisans and craftsmen working with their hands and elementary tools, aiming to improve the quality, scale, and reach of their products and integrate them with MSME value chains. The Union Government has recently allocated Rs. 13,000 crore for the scheme, and to begin with, 18 traditional trades are included under PM Vishwakarma Scheme by the Government of India, with the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise as the Nodal Ministry. Multiple implementation activities are planned under the scheme, including the identification and verification of beneficiaries, their mobilisation for skill up-gradation training, facilitating credit support, and marketing support to enable them to move up the value chain. Artisans and craftsmen can register on the PM Vishwakarma Portal using biometrics, obtain PM Vishwakarma Certificate and ID Card to avail benefits under the scheme.
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