Lucknow, Sep 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said the state was no longer a “BIMARU” state and had emerged as a “growth engine” of India’s economy, crediting government initiatives aimed at supporting traditional artisans and entrepreneurs.
Addressing a programme organised here on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti, Adityanath said the government had established 96 lakh micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.
“UP is no longer a BIMARU state. It has emerged as a growth engine of India’s economy,” he said.
The chief minister was speaking at the launch of an exhibition based on the ‘Vishwakarma Swarojgar and Swadeshi Mela 2026’ under Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana 2.0, the margin money loan portal and the distribution of cheques and toolkits to beneficiaries of various schemes.
He also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday and said the government would continue working towards making artisans and craftsmen self-reliant.
Adityanath said the Vishwakarma Shram Samman scheme was launched in 2019 after the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme was introduced in 2018.
He said more than six lakh artisans and craftsmen had been provided toolkits and training during the last seven to eight years.
Under the scheme, artisans are provided 10 days of free training, an honorarium of Rs 5,000 and toolkits worth up to Rs 15,000, he said.
The government was also linking artisans with banks and providing interest-free and collateral-free loans, he said.
“Five lakh rupees is available under the CM Youth Entrepreneur Scheme as an interest-free, collateral-free loan, while for artisans like you, the limit has been increased to Rs 10 lakh,” Adityanath said.
He said five new traditional trades had been added to the scheme, while several trades catering to young people had also been included.
“The objective of these 25 trades is that our artisans and craftsmen should not remain labourers but become entrepreneurs,” he said.
Targeting previous governments without naming them, Adityanath alleged that artisans had earlier been deprived of markets, bank credit and technology.
“There was no support for artisans, there was no cooperation — and how could there be cooperation, when those who don’t have the time to spare from organising a mahotsav (festival) in Saifai, bringing dancers all the way from Mumbai to perform there?” The chief minister said his government had sought to provide artisans not only traditional skills but also training according to current market demand, along with financial support and toolkits.
He said the government was also organising toolkit distribution and loan programmes across all districts.
Adityanath said the government would organise the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida from September 25 to 29. The event is officially scheduled for those dates and is intended to connect UP enterprises with domestic and international markets.
The chief minister also credited the government’s support to artisans and entrepreneurs for the expansion of the state’s MSME sector.
“UP was not BIMARU; the mentality of the politicians who governed UP and insulted our artisans and craftsmen was BIMARU,” he said. PTI CDN KSS KSS
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