Chennai: ‘The Prime Minister’s Vishwakarma scheme, implemented by the Central Government’s Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, will strengthen the caste-based industrial system. Therefore, it cannot be implemented in its current form. The Tamil Nadu government has decided to formulate a comprehensive scheme to empower the artisans in Tamil Nadu on the basis of social justice,’ said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin today (Nov.27) in a letter to the Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Jitan Ram Manjhi.
In the letter, Chief Minister Stalin recalled the letter he had written to the Prime Minister of India on 4-1-2024 on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Government to make appropriate amendments to the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana scheme, implemented by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India.
Considering that the Union Government’s Vishwakarma Scheme will strengthen the caste-based business system, a committee was constituted by the Tamil Nadu government to study the scheme. The committee conducted a detailed study and recommended the following changes in the scheme. The Chief Minister said that they have been brought to the notice of the Prime Minister. The mandatory requirement that the applicant’s family should be involved in a traditional family-based business should be removed. Instead, any person who wants to take up any business listed in the guidelines should be eligible for assistance under the scheme. The minimum age limit for beneficiaries under the scheme can be increased to 35. Thus, only those who are well-versed in their family business can avail the benefits under the scheme.
The committee constituted by the Tamil Nadu government had recommended recommendations including that the responsibility of verifying beneficiaries in rural areas should be entrusted to the Village Administrative Officer of the Revenue Department instead of the Gram Panchayat President. However, in the reply received from the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of the Central Government on 15-3-2024, there is no mention of the above suggested amendments.
Therefore, the Government of Tamil Nadu will not proceed with the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Vishwakarma Scheme in its current form. However, the Chief Minister has mentioned in his letter that the Government of Tamil Nadu has decided to formulate a comprehensive scheme that will include artisans without discrimination on the basis of caste, in order to empower the artisans in Tamil Nadu under the overall policy of social justice.
This scheme to be implemented by the Government of Tamil Nadu will provide comprehensive support to all artisans in the state, irrespective of caste and family occupation. Such a scheme will comprehensively cover financial assistance, training and everything required for their development, Chief Minister Stalin has said in the letter.
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