Leh: A total of 412 toolkits have been delivered to eligible artisans in Leh district under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, marking a significant milestone in the scheme’s local implementation. The progress was reviewed during a meeting chaired by Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Leh, Sonam Nurboo (JKAS) at the DC Office’s Mini Conference Hall.
The review meeting featured a comprehensive presentation by a representative from the PMU Vishwakarma, highlighting various aspects of the scheme, including UT-wise implementation status, block-wise performance in Leh, and trade-wise recommendations at different verification stages. Special focus was given to traditional trades such as sculpting and stone carving, with Ladakh currently ranking second among Union Territories for its successful execution of the scheme.
While the distribution of toolkits marks strong progress, the meeting also noted that 28 applications are still pending at Stage 1 and 57 at Stage 2 of the process. Issues such as delays in affidavit submissions for loans and a shortage of trained personnel in some subdivisions were discussed as bottlenecks.
To address these concerns, ADDC Leh emphasized the need for better coordination with banks to streamline the loan process and called for the mobilization of resource persons from Government Polytechnic Leh, ITI Leh, and Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) to fill existing gaps in field support. He further directed that all registered artisans be trained in a timely manner and that the district meet its allotted targets under the scheme.
The meeting was attended by key stakeholders including the General Manager, DIC Leh; Sub-Divisional Magistrates of Nubra, Durbuk, Nyoma, Kharu, and Likir; District Panchayat Officer Leh; Assistant Director Handicrafts; Superintendent Handloom and ITI Leh; District Lead Manager SBI; all Block Development Officers of Leh district, and PMU Vishwakarma representatives.
