New Delhi: Upon the approval of the 'PM Vishwakarma' scheme by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the programme would honour India's rural and urban craftsmen and crafters.
Weavers, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, laundry workers, and barbers are just some of the traditional artists and craftsmen who will profit from the Rs 13,000 crore over five years that the Union Cabinet approved for the 'PM Vishwakarma' initiative on Wednesday.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, which Modi chairs, reached the conclusion.
Modi claimed on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the PM Vishwakarma programme would honour "traditional artisans and crafts people" from both rural and urban India.
"By paying tribute to the ageless Guru-Shishya tradition, it will supplement the efforts of our Vishwakarmas, linking them to contemporary value chains and ensuring the survival of their priceless skills for future generations," he stated.
The prime minister stated on Tuesday that the programme would begin on September 17 in honour of Vishwakarma Jayanti.
The programme will issue PM Vishwakarma diplomas and ID cards to qualified craftsmen and crafters. Credit assistance in the amounts of Rs 1 lakh (first tranche) and Rs 2 lakh (second tranche) at a concession interest rate of 5% will be made available to them.—Inputs from Agencies