SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has set an ambitious target of bringing 70,000–80,000 artisans and craftspeople under credit linkage to expand their enterprises on commercial lines under the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo announced while chairing a high-level review meeting here today.
He directed banks and concerned departments to ensure smooth loan sanctions and timely disbursements, stressing that credit support is key to enabling artisans to become self-sustaining entrepreneurs.
The Chief Secretary also called for a mass awareness campaign across the Union Territory, instructing that Common Service Centres at the block level be used to organize orientation programmes for toolkit recipients. He said artisans should not only receive training and toolkits but also continuous handholding, motivation, and exposure to local success stories that can inspire them to set up viable ventures and generate employment.
Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Vikramjit Singh, shared that J&K ranks first among Union Territories and ninth nationally with 1,54,881 successful registrations under the scheme. He noted that the UT has achieved the eighth national rank in toolkit distribution, with 1,42,175 toolkits selected and 64,936 already delivered.
Secretary, Labour & Employment, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, informed that J&K stands seventh nationally in skill training, with 1,32,571 completions, reflecting the UT’s robust skill development efforts.
On the credit front, J&K ranks 11th nationally in loan sanctions, with 13,787 cases sanctioned and 8,867 disbursed so far, injecting over Rs 83 crore into artisan enterprises.
Lauding these achievements, Dulloo reiterated that the ultimate goal is to strengthen credit penetration and support artisans in transitioning from subsistence to entrepreneurship.
The PM Vishwakarma Yojana is a flagship central scheme that provides end-to-end support to artisans in 18 traditional trades, including recognition through ID cards, skill upgradation, a toolkit incentive of Rs 15,000, and collateral-free credit support of up to Rs 3 lakh.
