Kancheepuram, Apr 19 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday launched the Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam (KKT), artisans development scheme named after former CM M Karunanidhi, rejecting the Centre’s PM Vishwakarma Scheme in its present form.

Unlike the Vishwakarma Scheme, the DMK government’s programme does not discriminate people on the basis of caste, but encourages caste inclusivity, the CM said at the launch of his government’s version in Kundrathur here.

“The Vishwakarma Scheme encourages family-based professions by making the youth take up their ancestral trade without having to pursue higher studies. The government’s duty should be to bring the youngsters to portals of learning and not discourage them from education or make them take up family trade,” Stalin said.

On the other hand, his government was striving hard through various initiatives like Pudhumai Penn and Tamil Pudhalvan to inspire the youth to pursue higher education by providing them financial aid, he said.

The key changes, which the Centre declined to accept in amending the Vishwakarma Scheme, were incorporated in the KKT, especially increasing the minimum age of applicants to 35 years as against 18 in the Central scheme, and extending the benefits to all the artisans interested in taking up the programme as against the Centre’s initiative to cover caste or family-based trades.

Also, he had urged the Centre to fix the onus on the Village Administrative Officers (VAOs) instead of village panchayat heads for verifying the beneficiaries. But this too was refused, he said.

On the other hand, the KKT supported artisans and craftspeople by improving their livelihood and helping them become entrepreneurs. It focused on promoting 25 handicrafts and industries, ensuring that artisans from all backgrounds, not just those in traditional family businesses, could benefit.

“That is why we have informed the union government in writing that Tamil Nadu will not accept the Prime Minister’s Vishwakarma Scheme. We are firm on improving the livelihood prospects of the handicrafts artisans. So, we decided to frame a scheme that doesn’t distinguish them from caste. Hence this Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam,” he explained.

“Ours’ is not a rule of a party but principle-based governance. I have been saying we were formulating schemes on this basis. If Tamil Nadu has achieved tremendous growth, its not because of big firms but the success has been possible through the development of MSME sector,” Stalin said and lauded MSME Minister T M Anbarasan for striving to improve the sector.

The PM Vishwakarma Yojana was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2023, to support traditional artisans and craftspeople known as Vishwakarmas.

Enhancing Geographical Index subsidy to Rs one lakh from Rs 25,000, and improving the infrastructure facilities at a cost of Rs 5 crore in Kancheepuram district were among the announcements the Chief Minister made on the occasion.

The KKT provides financial assistance, skill development, and entrepreneurship training to help artisans start new businesses or expand existing ones with modern approaches. Under the scheme, eligible artisans can avail loans of up to Rs 3 lakh, with a 25 per cent subsidy (up to Rs 50,000) and an interest subsidy of up to 5 per cent.

“The Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam was created to establish social justice and not discriminate on the basis of caste,” Stalin, who handed over loan approval orders of Rs 170 crore along with a subsidy of Rs 34 crore to 8,951 beneficiaries, at the function held under the aegis of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Department, said.

Brick kiln work, pottery, alloy making, jewellery making, carpentry, sculpture, glasswork, musical instrument crafting, etc., are among the 25 traditional trades covered under the KKT.

MSME Minister T M Anbarasan, Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, and Kancheepuram collector Kalaiselvi Mohan were among those who participated. PTI JSP SA JSP ROH