The Uttar Pradesh government has so far received 76,000 applications in all 18 trades under the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, a scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17. The scheme is for making the artisans (Vishwakarma) of Uttar Pradesh self-reliant.
The verification of these applications is currently in progress. Following the directives of the Yogi Adityanath government, the first-level verification process is going on in several zones, while second-level verification has begun in others.
Once the verification is complete, training of the selected Vishwakarmas will commence and Rs 15,000 will be provided to each of them in the form of e-vouchers for the purchase of toolkit. Additionally, efforts will be made to facilitate loans to them through banks.
Out of the total applications received, the maximum – over 42,000 – are for tailoring trade. Besides, approximately 9,000 applications have been received in mechanics trade, nearly 7,000 in carpentry, and around 4,000 in blacksmith trade.
Besides, more than 2,600 applications have been received in the barber trade, over 1,500 in the malakar, and more than 1,300 in the hammer and tool kit making trade. Over a thousand applications have also been received each in washer man and toy making trades. Moreover, a good number of applications have also been received in fishing net making, basket making and cobbler trades.
The verification of all these applications is ongoing, and after successful verification, these applicants will be integrated into skill development. Following this, economic assistance will be provided to make them self-reliant.
Under the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, the beneficiaries will need to follow a defined process to avail the benefits. Firstly, applicants need to apply, after which a three-level verification will take place at the local (panchayat or urban local body), district and state levels. The beneficiaries will receive the PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card as a result. Their details will also be sent to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
Following this, the selected candidates will undergo five days of basic skill training and receive certificates. Selected individuals will further have the opportunity to undertake advanced skill training for 15 days or more, receiving an advanced skills certificate. After these steps, beneficiaries will receive an incentive of Rs 15,000 to buy toolkits.
Additionally, information about applying for Rs 1 lakh initial financial portion will be shared with banks. After examining the credit report, banks will provide beneficiaries with a Rs 1 lakh loan. Beneficiaries who make digital transactions and have received 15 days of advanced training will be eligible to apply for a second loan of Rs 2 lakh.
The state government is also encouraging beneficiaries for digital payment of loans. For this, details will be given to digital payment aggregators to enable digital transactions. Beneficiaries will be provided with QR codes and UPI details to enable them to carry out digital transactions. Beneficiaries’ transaction details will be shared with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises along with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
Subsequently, an incentive of Re 1 per transaction will be provided to each beneficiary. It is worth noting that the government has planned to allocate Rs 250 crore for quality certification, branding, advertising, publicity and other marketing initiatives under this scheme.