TN CM launches 'Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam' for inclusivity, anti-family trade

Kancheepuram

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin launched the Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam (KKT), a scheme for artisans' development, on Saturday, rejecting the Centre's PM Vishwakarma Scheme. Unlike the central scheme, which Stalin criticized for promoting family-based professions, the KKT focuses on caste inclusivity and encourages youth to pursue education rather than follow ancestral trades. The KKT provides financial aid, skill development, and entrepreneurship training, aiming to improve artisans' livelihoods. It covers 25 traditional crafts, ensuring all artisans, not just those from family businesses, benefit. Key changes include raising the minimum applicant age to 35 and removing caste-based restrictions. Stalin emphasized that the KKT supports social justice, offering loans up to Rs 3 lakh with a 25% subsidy and 5% interest relief. The CM also announced improvements in infrastructure and an increase in the Geographical Index subsidy to Rs 1 lakh.