Jammu and Kashmir has become the first Union Territory to implement the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, an initiative that aims to empower and enhance the skills of the craftsman community, officials said.

The inauguration of the training programme for the first batch of 30 trainees (Viswakarmas) in 'darzi craft' was virtually conducted by Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, and Secretary of the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Atul Kumar Tiwari, at ITI Shopian.

"In a significant step towards empowering the craftsman community through self-employment, Jammu and Kashmir today became the first Union Territory of the country to implement prestigious PM Vishwakarma Yojana (PMVY) with the start of training for the first batch of 30 trainees in darzi craft at Industrial training institute in Shopian," an official spokesman said.

Bhatnagar expressed pride in Jammu and Kashmir being the first UT to implement the scheme. He highlighted the administration's commitment to fostering a culture of skill development to create employment opportunities for the youth.

The scheme is expected to be operationalised in all districts of J-K soon, he said.

PMVY, an initiative launched by the Central government in September 2023, aims to recognise artisans and craftspeople through PM Vishwakarma certificates and ID cards, officials said.

The scheme includes basic training of five to seven days, advanced training of 15 days or more, a stipend of Rs 500 per day, and a free modern toolkit worth Rs 15,000 for trained Vishwakarmas.

Additionally, the yojana offers linkage with credit-based soft loans and marketing support to expand their businesses, they said.

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