Damoh (Madhya Pradesh), Aug 17 : The Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana is equipping and enhancing the skills of crores of people across the country and also making them financially self-reliant.

In Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district, a large number of beneficiaries trained under the PM Vishwakarma Yojana spoke to IANS, explaining about its impact on their lives.

Sunil Vishwakarma, who received a week-long training in bicycle repairing at Tendukheda Center said that the scheme helped him hone his skills.

Sunil, a resident of Tendukheda Nagar Parishad in Damoh, first joined this scheme and took training for 6 days. Today, he is planning to take a loan from the bank to expand his own shop.

'During the six-day training, I was told that the bank can provide collateral free loan of upto Rs 3 lakhs. The first installment could be of Rs 1 lakh and the second installment would be received after 18 months. I got Rs 3 lakh along with Rs 1,000 rent from the six-day training,' he said.

Sundar Lal, a resident of Bandipura Gram Panchayat of Tendukheda block was another person to get skills training under the scheme.

'Based on the information received from the villagers, I filled in the form of PM Vishwakarma Yojana online. After a few days, I came to know that my name had come in the list after which the employees working at the centre contacted me and during this six-day training, I learnt welding work. Earlier also I had done welding and craftsmanship work at other people's shops,' he said.

He further said: 'I want to thank PM Modi who made such a good scheme for small people. Even today I work at a welding shop where I get a wage of 250 to 300 rupees, but in the coming days I will have my own shop.'

Notably, the PM Vishwakarma Yojana is one of the flagship schemes under which beneficiaries are given a toolkit worth Rs 15,000 and a loan without collateral of up to Rs 3 lakh to start their own business.

This Central government scheme is economically empowering people associated with different categories including blacksmith, potter, tailor, mason and cobbler, but is also motivating them for self-employment.

/IANS