Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited Wardha, Maharashtra on 20th September 2024. During his visit,
- PM Modi participated in the National ‘PM Vishwakarma’ Programme marking one year of progress under PM Vishwakarma and released a commemorative stamp
- He laid the foundation stone of PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park at Amravati, Maharashtra.
- He launched Acharya Chanakya Kaushalya Vikas Scheme and Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar Women Start-Up Scheme.
PM Modi addresses the National PM Vishwakarma Program in Wardha, Maharashtra
PM Modi participated in the function to mark the anniversary of PM Vishwakarma Yojana at Swavalambai ground in Wardha, Maharashtra and released a commemorative stamp published by India Post dedicated to mark 1 year of progress under PM Vishwakarma.
- PM also released Digital ID cards and Digital Skill certificates to over 1 lakh beneficiaries of PM Vishwakarma.
- He also released loans to PM Vishwakarma’s beneficiaries and distributed credit under PM Vishwakarma to 18 beneficiaries under 18 trades.
About PM Vishwakarma Scheme
i.The scheme was launched on September 17, 2023, to provide support to artisans and craftspeople working with their hands and tools.
ii.It is a Central Sector Scheme launched with a financial outlay of Rs 13,000 crore for five years (FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28).
iii.Collateral free ‘Enterprise Development Loans’ of up to Rs. 3 lakhs in two tranches of Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 2 lakhs with tenures of 18 months and 30 months are provided under the scheme.
iv.A concessional rate of interest of 5% will be levied on the beneficiary with an interest subvention cap of 8% that will be paid by the Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises. The credit guarantee fees will be borne by the Centre.
Points to note:
i.Around 6.5 lakh beneficiaries have been provided with modern machinery and toolkits since the start of the scheme.
ii.Loans worth Rs.1400 crore have been disbursed to the beneficiaries in 2023.
iii. Over 20 lakh people with 18 different traditional skills have been included in PM Vishwakarma Yojna.
iv.Skill training and upgradation have been given to more than 8 lakh artisans and craftsmen with the knowledge of modern machinery and digital tools.
Laid Foundation Stone of PM MITRA in Maharashtra
PM Modi laid the foundation stone of PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park at Amravati, Maharashtra.
- The 1000-acre park will be developed by Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) as the State Implementation Agency.
- The government of India had approved the setting up of 7 PM MITRA Parks for the Textile industry.
Note: PM MITRA Parks will help in establishing a world-class industrial infrastructure for attracting large-scale investment including foreign direct investment (FDI) and leading to innovation and job creation within the sector.
Launched Acharya Chanakya Kaushalya Vikas Scheme and Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar Women Start-Up Scheme
During his visit, PM Modi launched the Acharya Chanakya Kaushalya Vikas Scheme (Acharya Chanakya Skill Development Center scheme) of the Government of Maharashtra and Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Women Startup Scheme.
Acharya Chanakya Kaushalya Vikas Scheme:
i.Under this scheme, Skill development training centres will be established in well-known colleges across Maharashtra to provide training to youth in the age group of 15 to 45.
ii.The scheme will make the youth self-reliant and enable them to access various employment opportunities.
iii.Around 1,50,000 youths across Maharashtra will receive free skill development training each year.
Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Women Startup Scheme:
i.Under this scheme, early-stage support will be provided to women-led startups in Maharashtra to make them self-reliant and independent.
ii.Financial assistance up to Rs.25 lakh will be provided.
iii.Women from backward classes and economically weaker sections will be provided with 25% of the total provisions under this scheme.
About Maharashtra:
Chief Minister(CM)– Eknath Shinde
Governor– C. P. Radhakrishnan
Airport– Akola Airport; Aurangabad Airport
UNESCO Heritage Sites– Ajanta Cave; Ellora Caves
