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With a substantial financial allocation of Rs 13,000 crore allocated over a five-year span until 2028, "PM Vishwakarma" is poised to engender significant improvements across 18 traditional trades in its initial phase.
FollowIn a move to bolster traditional craftsmanship and empower artisans, the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has sanctioned a pioneering central sector scheme named "PM Vishwakarma." Following its announcement in the Prime Minister's Independence Day speech, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that this initiative will extend its benefits to around 30 lakh craftsmen and their families.
With a substantial financial allocation of Rs 13,000 crore allocated over a five-year span until 2028, "PM Vishwakarma" is poised to engender significant improvements across 18 traditional trades in its initial phase.
The government's official statement outlines the comprehensive features of the scheme, stating, "Through 'PM Vishwakarma,' artisans and craftspeople will be officially recognized through specialized certificates and ID cards, alongside financial support amounting to Rs 1 lakh (initially) and Rs 2 lakh (subsequently) with a concessional interest rate of 5%. The scheme will also provide avenues for skill enhancement, toolkit incentives, rewards for digital transactions, and valuable marketing support."
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The inaugural beneficiaries of "PM Vishwakarma" encompass diverse skilled artisans, ranging from carpenters, boat makers, and blacksmiths to locksmiths, goldsmiths, potters, sculptors, cobblers, and masons. With this scheme's comprehensive approach, it aspires to rejuvenate and uplift these age-old trades while nurturing economic growth and skill augmentation.
During the meeting, the CCEA also granted approval for the "PM-eBus Sewa," a strategic initiative aimed at incorporating 10,000 electric buses into the nation's transportation network. This progressive step, which will receive backing for a decade, was illuminated by Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
"Across 169 cities, a total of 10,000 e-buses will be introduced, accompanied by infrastructural enhancements in 181 urban centers under the Green Urban Mobility Initiatives," Thakur noted.
He elaborated, "The cabinet's endorsement of the 'PM-eBus Sewa' stands as a significant milestone in advancing city bus operations with the infusion of 10,000 e-buses through a Private-Public Partnership framework. The scheme is estimated to incur a total expenditure of Rs 57,613 crore, with central government backing of Rs 20,000 crore. Moreover, this initiative will provide sustained operational assistance for a decade."
In addition to its impact on transportation, the scheme is poised to generate an estimated 45,000 to 55,000 direct job opportunities. This anticipated job creation will stem from the deployment of around 10,000 electric buses in various city bus operations, as highlighted in an official statement.
The newly unveiled scheme is bifurcated into two distinct components: the first pertains to the expansion of city bus services, while the second revolves around the comprehensive development of infrastructure as part of the Green Urban Mobility Initiatives. This visionary initiative encompasses a spectrum of eco-friendly measures, encompassing elements such as bus priority, infrastructure enhancement, and the establishment of multimodal interchange facilities, as cited by the government.
In this context, the Centre delineated, "Within this scheme, the onus of overseeing bus operations and disbursing payments to bus operators rests with the states/cities. Simultaneously, the central government is poised to bolster these bus operations through the provision of a subsidy."
Reiterating the scheme's significance, the Centre emphasized that the "PM-eBus Sewa" will contribute substantively to the advancement of e-mobility, underscoring the transformative role it is poised to play in fostering a more sustainable and eco-conscious transportation landscape.
