The ‘PM Vishwakarma Yojana’ was approved in the meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. Under the scheme, loans up to Rs 1 lakh will be given to artisans at 5 percent interest. Through this, skill development will be done for the workers who enhance the skill works under the Guru-disciple tradition. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that Rs 13,000 crore would be spent on this over a period of five years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28 and 30 lakh traditional artisans would be benefited from it. At the same time, more than 1 lakh artisans of Jharkhand will also get benefit from this scheme.
Scheme will be started on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti
Prime Minister Modi had said on the occasion of Independence Day that this scheme would be launched on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti (September 17). Vaishnav told that there are many classes in small towns, who are engaged in work related to skills under the guru-shishya tradition. Under the PM Vishwakarma scheme, 18 traditional workers have been placed in the first phase.
Which classes will get benefit
These included carpenters, boat builders, weapon makers, blacksmiths, hammer and tool makers, locksmiths, goldsmiths, potters, sculptors, cobblers, masons, carpet, broom and basket makers, doll and toy makers, barbers, washermen. , tailors, fishing net makers etc.
what’s in the plan
02 types of skill training: basic and advanced
Daily allowance of Rs 500 during daily training
Loan of Rs 01 lakh at 5% interest in first phase
Concessional loan of 02 lakh will be available in the second phase
15000 help to buy modern equipment
Will be given Vishwakarma certificate and identity card
Under PM Vishwakarma Yojana, artisans and craftsmen will be given recognition by providing PM Vishwakarma certificate and identity card will also be given. Under this scheme, artisans will be provided incentives and market support in digital transactions.
How many artisans of Jharkhand will get benefit
According to the statistics of the Government of India, the number of registered artisans in Jharkhand is 1,07,940. All these artisans can take advantage of PM Vishwakarma Yojana. Out of these, there are 10 lakh tribal artisans across the country.
There has been no improvement in the condition of artisans since the Corona epidemic
The condition of artisans in Jharkhand has not improved properly since Corona. Please tell that due to the shutdown of business in Corona, many people had become unemployed. The potters have suffered the most. The condition is that now they have to wait for Diwali and summer season. Many potters also say that making clay items has become expensive now. Coal, cow dung lumps are required for cooking clay. Many times the utensil breaks while cooking with fire, due to which they also suffer huge losses.
Jharkhand’s condition is bad in mason’s training
The condition of Jharkhand is very bad in the training of masons under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural). This is known from the Performance Index Dash Board released by the Union Ministry of Rural Development in 2019. Where five marks were fixed for mason training, but out of this Jharkhand got only 0.64 marks. While the score of Dhanbad, Godda, Jamtara, Koderma and Pakur was zero.
Jharcraft was formed in 2006
Jharcraft was formed in the year 2006 after the formation of Jharkhand state to promote cottage industry. After the formation of Jharcraft, weaving sheds were constructed at all the three places in Mahuadabar, Maniardih and Khairban villages of Madhupur at a cost of 16 lakhs each. But, due to the neglect of the weavers, this industry went on the margins and the artisans became unemployed even after getting training. There are many reasons behind this, but due to neglect the work could not be done.
The condition of weavers in Jharkhand is dire
The skill of the weavers in Jharkhand is in crisis, hands are empty and life is in darkness. Livelihood is going on somehow. Seeing such condition, the new generation of weavers are also running away from this work. There was a time when weavers work in almost the entire Jharkhand region (then undivided Bihar). After 1980, except Santal Pargana, more than 30 thousand people were engaged in this work in the rest of the districts, due to which about two lakh people used to feed.
Today this work has been limited to about 6000 families of Kolhan, Palamu, South and North Chhotanagpur divisions. About 72 societies are running. People of many localities are directly associated with this profession. GST is levied on their products, but help from the state government is ‘nil’.
Weavers’ financial crisis persists:
Ajmeri Khatoon, who works at the society’s center in Erba, earns only Rs 400 to 500 by working eight hours a day. She says: According to today’s inflation, this money is less. However, the organization provides all kinds of help. Stands with us in need. Many women like Safina, Sabila Khatoon are helping the family by joining this profession.
Millions of machines are getting useless
Weaver sheds built in Mahuadabar under Pasia Panchayat of Madhupur, Maniardih and Khairban villages of Charpa Panchayat are lying closed for more than 10 years. Machines worth lakhs were brought here to make clothes from yarn. Handloom and cloth dyeing, yarn rolling machines are kept in every shed. In all the three places, 60-120 workers were trained by the Industries Department to prepare clothes from yarn.
After getting training, the artisans also prepared clothes for two-three months through the market committee. Different types of cotton clothes were being made here in addition to bedsheets, gamchha, shirt clothes. The officers and employees of the Industries Department used to come and take these clothes. But, the enthusiasm of the artisans working here could not last for more than two-three months and due to lack of resources and neglect, some artisans left the work and migrated. It is being said that they were forced to do so.
Slowly other artisans also started turning away and left the work. Thus this industry almost completely stopped. Due to being closed for years, dirt is now spread around the weaver shed and bushes have grown all around. Machines worth lakhs are also getting rusted.
These are the benefits of starting the handloom industry
With the start of handloom industry in the weaver sheds of all the three villages of Madhupur, not only would the local artisans get employment, but the products made here would get a big market. Here the art gets a platform and a new hope arises again in the path of self-reliance.
what is the purpose of the government
The government will help people with traditional skills through this scheme. People like goldsmiths, blacksmiths, barbers and tanners will be benefited in this. The purpose of this scheme is to benefit such people, who do some skilled work by hand and have been doing this work for generations.
The dream of making two crore millionaire didis in the villages
In addition to the Vishwakarma scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation also informed about the government’s consideration of another new scheme. He said, ‘My dream is to make two crore didis millionaires in the village. That’s why we are thinking of a new plan. Will bring technology in the agriculture field. We will train them to provide the service of drones. The country is developing in every field. The country is moving towards modernity.