PM felicitates Odia artisan while launching Vishwakarma scheme in Delhi

Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated several artisans from across the country, including one from Odisha, while launching Vishwakarma Yojana in New Delhi today.

The Prime Minister felicitated artisan Basant Kumar Rana from Odisha’s Puri town during the event.

Rana has been crafting Tahia, a specially-designed headgear, for the presiding deities of Puri Srimandir for last several years. He also prepares garlands for Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, sources said.

The Prime Minister felicitated Rana and provided him with the Vishwakarma identity card on the occasion.

The Prime Minister launched the Vishwakarma scheme for the benefit of traditional artisans from across the country.

The Centre has allocated Rs 13,000 crore for the scheme, which will provide support to artisans and craftsmen in both rural and urban areas of the country.

In the initial phase, at least 18 categories of artisans including carpenter, boat maker, armourer, blacksmith, hammer & tool kit maker, locksmith, goldsmith, potter, sculptor, stone breaker, cobbler, mason, basket/mat/broom maker/coir weaver, doll and toy maker, barber, garland maker, washer man, tailor and fishing net maker will be covered under the scheme.

As many as 30 lakh artisan families will be covered under the scheme over five years from 2023-24 fiscal.

The beneficiaries of the scheme will be given a toolkit incentive of Rs 15,000, collateral-free credit support up to Rs 1 lakh in the first tranche and Rs 2 lakh in the second tranche at a concessional interest rate of 5 per cent and incentive for digital transactions and marketing support, sources said.