PM Vishwakarma Portal Yet to Resume RegistrationsTNNLudhiana: The PM Vishwakarma portal is yet to resume fresh registrations. Under the scheme, Punjab already had much lower participation than neighbouring states till last year, when the registrations were open.There about about 13,000 successful registrations, compared to about 41,000 registrations in Haryana and about 2.50 lakh in Rajasthan.The PM Vishwakarma scheme, launched on Sept 17, 2023, provides support to artisans and craftspeople engaged in 18 traditional trades. The benefits include recognition through a certificate and ID card, skill training, a toolkit incentive of up to Rs 15,000, and collateral-free credit support.The credit is provided in two tranches up to Rs 1 lakh initially and up to Rs 2 lakh subsequently at a beneficiary interest rate of 5%. The scheme also provides support for digital transactions and market linkages.In Punjab, registration for some of the more popular trades had earlier been paused, while there was comparatively less interest in some niche trades.Officials expect a fresh opportunity for eligible artisans to come forward when the portal reopens. “We had many applicants. Once the registration window for the trades reopens, the numbers registrations this year will improve.” He said that participation from Punjab would increase, as preparations have been underway for it, said Pankaj Kumar Jha, joint director, MSME Development Institute.Sources said that next version of the portal could be rolled out around Vishwakarma Jayanti next month.The relatively low participation in Punjab, however, has been attributed partly to the state’s changing rural and occupational profile. Unlike Rajasthan, which has a large traditional artisan population spread across villages and small towns, Punjab has a smaller population dependent on traditional crafts, with a substantial section engaged in agriculture, industry, trade and services.The officials said the opportunity was being provided to Vishwakarma artisans at Chandigarh airport as well. A PM Vishwakarma stall was inaugurated at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh last month. It provides beneficiaries with an opportunity to display their products at a high-footfall location visited by domestic and international travellers.
