Historic day for India: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on ‘PM Vishwakarma’ scheme launch

Jammu, Sep 17 (PTI) The ‘PM Vishwakarma’ scheme represents a perfect blend of India’s civilisational ethos and traditional craftsmanship and through this, artisans are being brought into the mainstream, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘PM Vishwakarma’ scheme on the occasion of ‘Vishwakarma Jayanti’ and under this, traditional craftspeople and artisans will be provided loan assistance at a minimal interest rate without the need for collateral.

“This is a historic day in the development journey of India when the exclusive asset of India, the traditional artisans and craftsmen are being brought into the mainstream with the launch of the ‘PM Vishwakarma’ by Narendra Modi,” the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office said here.

Singh said the scheme offers the option of earning livelihood, while at the same time, sustains India’s age-old ‘Guru-Shishya Parampara (teacher-disciple tradition)’.

Prime Minister Modi has introduced a culture of combining India’s traditional knowledge with modern technology and the Chandrayaan mission is the most outstanding example of this, he said.

“By naming the Moon mission ‘Chandrayaan’, its lander as ‘Vikram’ and its landing site on the Moon’s South Pole ‘Shiv Shakti’ are the best example of preservation of the civilisational ethos of India,” the minister said

He said traditional artisans are integral to society as they have kept alive the centuries old traditions and crafts of India.

Singh said 10 crore Ujjwala connections, 12 crore toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission, 13 crore connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 18 crore health cards under the Ayushman Bharat, Mudra loans and the PM Kisan Nidhi are proof that this government is dedicated to those left out from mainstream by the earlier governments.