Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday called for establishing ‘Vishwakarma complexes’ in every village on the lines of modern malls to strengthen the concept of a ‘smart village’ in the State’s hinterland and help create self-reliant rural economies.
“In accordance with the intention of the Prime Minister, ‘Vishwakarma complexes’ should be built in every village to make the villages of the State ‘smart villages’. All arrangements will be made available under one roof for rural labourers to showcase their talents and provide services. This will also help make the rural economy self-reliant. Work should proceed quickly in this direction by coordinating with the Panchayati Raj Department,” Mr. Adityanath said while conducting a high-level review meeting of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Department.
The use of the term ‘Vishwakarma’ holds significance as, according to Hindu mythology, ‘Vishwakarma’ is the deity of craftspeople.
The U.P. Government runs a ‘Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana’ to promote self-employment. Under this scheme, six days of free training in skill enhancement is provided to labourers, artisans, and craftspeople. Mr. Adityanath directed officials to identify other traditional trades and include them under the Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana at the earliest.
While reviewing the work of the MSME Department, the U.P. CM directed the department to organise ‘One District One Product (ODOP)‘ fairs and exhibitions in every district.
“Along with the display of ‘One District, One Product’, arrangements should also be made for their sale. ODOP exhibitions and fairs should be organised in every district of the State for one week. Promote ODOP through the Lulu Group and e-commerce platforms like Flipkart and Amazon. Further, strengthen the ODOP supply chain and ensure the availability of products as per demand,” Mr. Adityanath said.
