After no to Centre's Vishwakarma Scheme, CM Stalin to launch KKT on April 18

Chennai, April 10 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will launch the Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam (KKT) -- Kalaignar Artisans Development Scheme -- on April 18 in Kancheepuram district's Kundrathur.

This state government initiative aims to uplift artisans and craftspeople by offering financial assistance, skill development, and entrepreneurship training, thereby enhancing their livelihoods and enabling them to become self-reliant entrepreneurs.

The scheme covers over 25 traditional trades, including brick kiln work, pottery, alloy making, carpentry, jewellery making, sculpture creation, glasswork, construction, boat building, rope and mat making, musical instrument crafting, weaving, and painting. To be eligible, applicants must be at least 35 years old and have a minimum of five years’ experience in any of the listed trades.

State Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises T.M. Anbarasan highlighted the distinct features of the Kalaignar Kaivinai Scheme, especially when compared with the Union government’s PM Vishwakarma Scheme.

He said that Tamil Nadu’s initiative provides more comprehensive and accessible support. “The Vishwakarma Scheme encourages caste-based professions and may discourage students from pursuing higher education by binding them to their family trades,” Anbarasan said.

In contrast, he explained, the state scheme is inclusive and forward-looking, allowing artisans to choose their preferred trade rather than being restricted to traditional, family-based professions.

While the Central scheme permits applicants from 18 years of age, the state’s minimum age requirement is 35, ensuring that younger individuals can pursue higher education without pressure to enter the workforce prematurely.

Further distinguishing features include the credit support structure. Unlike the Vishwakarma Scheme -- which offers loans without subsidies and disburses them in two installments -- the Kalaignar Kaivinai Scheme offers a credit support of Rs 3 lakh, a 25 per cent capital subsidy (up to a maximum of Rs 50,000, a 5 per cent interest subsidy and single installment disbursal.

The scheme is expected to benefit at least 10,000 artisans annually, and applications must be submitted online via www.msmeonline.tn.gov.in. Minister Anbarasan added that the scheme has been named in honor of late DMK patriarch and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, acknowledging his enduring contributions to social justice and inclusive development.

“The scheme is not based on traditional, caste-linked trades. It offers subsidy-linked credit, entrepreneurship development, and skills training to help artisans expand existing trades or launch new ones,” the minister said.

It may be recalled that on November 27, 2024, Chief Minister Stalin wrote to Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, informing him that Tamil Nadu would not implement the PM Vishwakarma Scheme in its present form.

In his letter, CM Stalin said that the state government was formulating a more inclusive and socially just alternative that did not discriminate based on caste.

The PM Vishwakarma Yojana, approved by the Union Cabinet on August 16, 2023, and launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2023, aims to offer end-to-end support to traditional artisans and craftspeople known as Vishwakarmas. However, the Tamil Nadu government has chosen to pursue its own path with the Kalaignar Kaivinai Scheme -- a targeted, inclusive initiative aimed at empowering artisans across the state.

Minister Anbarasan concluded by urging eligible artisans and craftspeople to take full advantage of the scheme for their personal and professional growth.

--IANS

aal/dpb