Jammu: A Union Territory Level Monitoring Committee (UTLMC) will coordinate the roll out of the Prime Minister’s Vishwakarma scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
The scheme, announced by the Union Finance Minister in this year’s annual budget, will be simultaneously launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17 at different locations of India, including Jammu and Kashmir.
With a financial outlay of Rs 1300 Cr approved for five years i.e., from 2023-24 to 2027-28, the Scheme aims at supporting traditional artisans and craft-persons of rural and urban India, associated with 18 traditional trades.
UTLMC will ensure active participation of stakeholder departments and agencies of the J&K government facilitating implementation of the Scheme.
J&K government ordered the constitution of UTLMC and District Implementation Committee (DIC) on September 6, vide order number 1071-JK(GAD) of 2023, for overseeing the monitoring and implementation of this Prime Minister’s Vishwakarma scheme in the UT.
UT Level Monitoring Committee will be responsible for the operational implementation of the scheme at the Union Territory level and it will have the Administrative Secretary, Industries & Commerce Department as its chairman.
Its other members will include Administrative Secretaries of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department; Housing and Urban Development and IT Departments or their representatives not below the rank of Additional Secretary; Joint Director, MSME DFO, J&K and Ladakh; a representative each of Finance; Planning Development & Monitoring; Skill Development Departments, not below the rank of Additional Secretary and convenor, UTLBC, J&K.
Director Industries and Commerce Kashmir and Jammu will be its member convenors.
The panel will facilitate agencies of MSDE in providing skill training to the beneficiaries; ensure coordination among banks and financial institutions for smooth provisioning of credit support to the beneficiaries; facilitate IT-ITeS related support in implementing the Scheme and create awareness about the Scheme at Gram Panchayat and Urban Local Body (ULB) level in the UT.
It will also monitor the implementation of the Scheme and share suggestions or feedback, if any, with the National Steering Committee. “The committee shall meet once in every quarter, or as per requirement, to discuss all operational and ground-level implementation matters and shall be serviced by the Industries and Commerce Department,” GAD Commissioner Secretary Sanjeev Verma instructed.
Similarly, the District Implementation Committee (DIC) will be responsible for the actual roll out and implementation of the scheme at field level.
This panel will have the concerned Deputy Commissioner as chairman and General Manager District Industries Centre as its member convenor.
Other members of the committee will include Assistant Commissioner Panchayat; Chief Executive Officer(s) of the ULBs; Principal(s) ITIs of the concerned district; a representative of MSME DFO, J&K; a nominee of MSDE at district level and Lead District Manager (concerned).
Three domain experts or practitioners to be nominated by the National Steering Committee will also be its members.
As per the terms of reference; DIC will ensure seamless enrollment of the beneficiaries by the CSCs in the Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies of the district.
It will also ensure proper and smooth verification of the enrolled beneficiaries by the Head of Gram Panchayats and Executive Heads of Urban Local Bodies.
To ensure adequate awareness and on-boarding of all eligible beneficiaries in Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies, through a suitable mechanism; conduct the necessary verification under scheme will also be the mandate of this panel.
It has been tasked to ensure access of registered beneficiaries to PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID Cards and to 5-days basic skill training; credit support under the Scheme; incentives for digital transaction and marketing support.
“The committee may co-opt two-three leading practitioners or domain experts on honorary basis, with prior approval of the National Steering Committee,” Verma ordered.
