Bhopal, July 28 (IANS) A seminar-cum-awareness program and training camp was organised at the Zila Panchayat office in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul on Tuesday, by the MSME Development Office, for collecting their feedback on the scheme’s grassroots reach, its functioning and also providing them on-spot training to participants in certain areas, including product marketing and safety from cyber-related crimes.
More than 180 beneficiaries, both male and female, from all blocks of the district participated in the event, who were enlightened with scheme benefits and counselled on how to become the bonafide beneficiaries.
A lot of participants thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the initiative.
A female beneficiary said that she received loan of Rs 1 lakh under the scheme, enabling her to run own business.
Sharing her plight, she added that her family was in a miserable state and she had to run from pillar to post to get a loan.
It was only after connecting with the PM Vishwakarma Yojana that she received Rs 1 lakh loan along with a tool kit worth Rs 15,000. Today, her business is thriving, making her grateful to the Narendra Modi government and its welfare schemes.
Suresh Saratkar, another beneficiary working as a mason, told IANS that he received a loan, a certificate, and a tool kit under the PM Vishwakarma Yojana.
The initial loan helped expand his business and he now seeks a second loan to further grow his operations.
A woman engaged in making brass idols (bell metal craft) noted that she had applied for a loan under the PM Vishwakarma Yojana to expand her business and was selected for the program.
She received basic training, for which she was also given a stipend. She is now set to receive the loan, which will allow her to scale up her business.
She praised the scheme for making it easier to obtain bank loans and noted that the digital aspect allows their products to be sold across the country and abroad, enabling them to conduct sales right from their homes.
Assistant Director from the MSME department Kailash Manekar said that this awareness program, organised in collaboration with the district administration, aims to educate beneficiaries of the PM Vishwakarma Yojana on topics such as funding and marketing.
“The objective was to guide them on effectively utilising the toolkits and loans they received to expand their businesses, as well as on aspects like product marketing, packaging, leveraging AI, and staying safe from cybercrimes,” he told IANS.
During the event, many attendees reported issues such as not having received their loans (with applications still pending at banks) or not having received their toolkits.
Discussions also covered the number of beneficiaries who have availed of the scheme — which will complete its third year in September 2026.
–IANS
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